


Across the Pond

by coccinelle_et_chaton



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU, Adrinette, F/M, LadyNoir - Freeform, ML, MLB, Marichat, Miraculous Ladybug - Freeform, World Disney World AU, ladrien, tales of ladybug and cat noir, wdw au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-19
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-05-27 15:07:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 45,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6289384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coccinelle_et_chaton/pseuds/coccinelle_et_chaton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Four years have passed since Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng became the miraculous superhero duo of Ladybug and Chat Noir but they are nowhere near to discovering each other's identities. With their last year of lycée around the corner, Adrien is worried that things are changing too fast. Alya and Nino take onto the task of cheering their friends up --and hopefully finally getting them to confess their feelings for each other. The solution? Convincing them to go on a transatlantic trip to Walt Disney World. As they come to learn, wishes do come true in the happiest place on earth. Rated T for occasional swearing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [WDW snapchat miraculous ladybug au](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/182869) by fox7xd-drawings. 



"I can't believe my dad." Adrien Agreste joined his friends at their usual studying spot in the library, slamming his books onto the table as his dramatic entrance of choice. Without looking up from their respective chores, they greeted him. 

"Fashion show in the middle of finals again?" Nino said. 

"Press conference?" Alya asked.

"You couldn't tell him about the Physics thing again," Marinette said, actually looking up at him. 

He sighed and collapsed onto a chair. "Yes! It's like he knows what I'm going to say. I was about to ask him. This close! And he interrupted me, saying there's this fashion show in the middle of July and that I have to be in it." 

"That sucks bro." Nino patted his back "But honestly. Physics? You're living the life already." 

"That's my point, Nino. I don't want to walk into my dad's shoes."

"And you think the best way to claim your independence is to emancipate yourself from the fashion industry… by going into Physics." 

"I'm good at them," he insisted. "Even with the rest of the classes, and modeling, and my extracurriculars, and… my other responsibilities, I still manage to be top of the class. Now imagine if I didn't have to do any of that."

"You'd be a good-looking genius, and I'm pretty sure that's like, a federal crime or something."  
Adrien groaned. 

"Just tell him, Adrien." Marinette smiled at him. "Sometimes you can't just look for a good moment to say things because there is no right moment. Think of it as a band-aid. The sooner you tear it off--." 

She sneaked a glance at Alya, who had this "Didn't you bite your tongue there?" face. Marinette glared.

"--The sooner you can get over it."

He sighed again. "If it only were that easy." He sprawled over the table and lazily looked up to Marinette, whom, to the day, still had a hard time keeping her composure when he fixed his entire attention on her. "He loved your internship application, by the way."

"What?" She choked.

"My dad. He told me yesterday. I didn't know you wanted to be an intern at the label, I could've talked to him for you."

She glowed bright red. "Eheh. Well… no offense, Adrien. I kinda wanted to do this on my own, you know?" 

"Yeah, I know what you mean." He sat up and pouted in a way that really reminded Marinette of another dramatic blonde. "It's just… look at you guys. You got your life together already. Alya's like, a solid news brand in YouTube, it's a matter of time before Nino goes to freakin' Tomorrowland or Coachella, and you…. I'm pretty sure you're the daughter my father always wanted. Meanwhile, our last year of lycée is around the corner and all I got going for me is stupid modelling." 

That's not entirely true, he thought. But honestly, he didn't even want to imagine. Over the years he had learned quite a few things about Ladybug without her actually revealing who she was. And one of the things he learned that frightened him senseless was that she was his age, and therefore, about to enter her last year of lycée. And therefore, about to study university. And therefore, she might move to another city and leave Paris-- him, unprotected. Besides, he was pretty sure that as much as he enjoyed it, being Chat Noir was not an official job. Things were changing too fast for Adrien. 

Nino patted Adrien's back. "Always count on Agreste to bring down the mood." 

"But he's got a point," Marinette said more conflicted than she would have wanted to seem. "It's our last year together and--." She looked at Adrien. 

And I still haven't told you how I feel. And I still have that umbrella you gave me. And I still can't believe I wasted four years because I'm too much of a coward to come clean.

"And things are going to change," she said. She refrained from wincing. The idea of losing Adrien, of him meeting new people, new girls, falling for one of them, made her so sad she could probably cry on the spot. 

Nino and Alya looked at the deflattened pair and them to each other. They were right, and they had not considered it yet. There it was, in their eyes, just the slightest glint of fear, melancholy. But Alya knew better.

"Alright, alright," she said, breaking the dense silence. "Stop it you two, before Hawkmoth akumatizes you both. I'm pretty sure Ladybug and Chat Noir have better things to do than to deal with a pair of downers like you. Besides, look on the bright side! There's still the whole year ahead, plus we have summer coming up in a few days!"

They weren't too convinced, but before she could persuade them a little more, a loud boom burst in the air, shaking the school building and making cars' alarms go off. The four rushed to the window to see what was going on. 

An akuma, as per usual. 

"Ew, what is he, a rat?" Alya said, producing her phone. 

"A huge rat," Nino said, starting to film as well. Nino, as it turned out, not only proved to be an excelent boyfriend to her but also a great assistant camera-man. 

"I have a feeling Chat Noir is going to get a kick out of this one," Adrien commented. He turned to the side, waiting for Marinette's addition but she was nowhere to be found. 

"What the-- anyone saw Marinette leave?"

Before they could answer, the loudspeakers in the halls boomed with the principal's voice announcing they were under evacuation protocol. 

"That girl, though," Adrien said to no one in particular, as he picked up his things and prepared to lose Alya and Nino in the crowd. Marinette was always the first to leave the scene when there was an akuma around. 

"You coming, Adri-- the hell. And now where is he?" Nino said, picking up Alya's and his backpack. 

"You know them," Alya said as they rushed to the street. "Pair of scaredy cats. Turn right, I parked the car around the corner." 

Nino and Alya sped through the street heading for Notre Dame. 

"Make sure to get close," Alya instructed Nino, as they caught up with the giant, akumatized rat. 

Nino veered just in time to evade the rat's paw. He cursed loudly. 

"Great, now I'm going to have to edit that out," Alya said.

"Well, pardon my French but that thing was about to squash us!" 

Alya turned to him with a disgusted expression. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Was that a fucking pun, Nino Lahiffe?" 

Nino grinned at her. "I'd make an awesome Chat Noir, wouldn't you say?"

"Ugh-- watch out!" 

If it weren't for the fact the real Chat Noir deflected a column of debris falling in their general direction, they would have been dead. 

Nino and Alya cheered for him.

Chat rolled his eyes. Those two. "Get to safety!" he scolded them from the heights of a building.

"Hey, I was thinking," Alya commented casually, as if they were discussing the news over breakfast instead of being in the fast-and-furious hunt down of an akuma. "Adrien and Mari are right. Things are changing so fast and…"

Nino took a sharp turn. "You really need to bring up that now?" 

"I'm just saying." She held tight to her seat, hoping to keep her shot as steady as she could. "We could use a vacation, y'know? The four of us. Some bonding time." 

"I'm listening." 

"I was thinking somewhere far." 

"Ugh, no. Not the Baltic."

"I was thinking along the lines of another continent." 

Nino glanced at her mischievously. "Oh." 

"More like, Orlando."

Nino couldn't help but squeal. "You mean Orlando as in Disney? As in HARRY POTTER? As in THAT ORLANDO, FLORIDA?"

"Yeah. Keep your eyes on the road. HOLY- DID YOU SEE THAT FLIP SHE DID?" She screamed, furiously zooming the camera to catch glimpse of Ladybug.

"Er… Kinda hard when you're keeping your eyes on the road."

Alya simply glared at him. "Well, I actually looked up some flights and tickets to the parks and such, and you know. It's expensive but not that expensive. Could easily pass as a premature graduation gift if you pitch it right." 

"Oh my god, yes! Let’s do it!" He veered in a U turn once again, so Alya could get a shot of Ladybug cleansing the akuma. "God, this is why I love you." 

"What was that again?" Alya said, amused. This time she turned the camera to him. 

"Oh, you heard it, woman. Don't pull a Dupain-Agreste on me." 

\---

"America?" the pair asked in unison.

"You say it like it's a bad thing." Alya crossed her arms. 

"Guys. GUYS." Nino intervened. "Adrien, my man, I don't think you get this. So let me break it down for you. HARRY POTTER. Guys, you have no idea how much of a fan I am! Please! I can't die a happy man until I go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!" He kneeled next to Adrien's seat. "Adrieeeennnnn."

Adrien and Marinette looked at each other, only to look away instantly in the face of mutual understanding. Maybe even telepathic communication. For some reason, Marinette knew Adrien also thought this was a bad idea. He must have had his reasons, but the idea of leaving Chat Noir to fend off by himself for two weeks did not appeal to her one bit. 

"Think about it, guys," Alya said. "When's the last time we did something together? When have we ever gone on a trip? A transatlantic one. You can't say it wouldn't be the best summer of your life." 

Alya was right. The only one who had ever been to the other side of the pond was Adrien, but he never really associated it with good things. Going to America usually meant long, boring days at the New York Fashion Week. But this, this sounded interesting. The first real vacations he'd have in years! Alone, with his friends --with Marinette!

The hype quickly died in his head as he visited the hypothetic scenario where he asked his father for permission. 

"No can do guys," he said, deflating in his chair. He could see Nino's disappointment wash over his entire being. "There's no way in hell my dad will let me go. Not at least without my bodyguard, and trust me. He knows how to be a stick in the mud." 

"A-and, what if something happens while we're gone?" Marinette said. "I mean, Alya, what if there's an akuma and you're not there to film it?"

"I think the ladyfans will have to deal. Plus, it's just two weeks! And come on, guys. Weren't you two moping around yesterday about lycée ending? If you're not going to act upon it, I will not let you cry about it later."

Adrien and Marinette exchanged worried glances. "I'll have to check," Marinette insisted. 

"Me too," Adrien seconded. 

And by check, Marinette meant with Chat Noir. She knew her parents would not really resist. They had come to trust her decisions and in general, treated her more like an adult than any of her parents' friends did with them. The money would be a bit tight, but she had a few savings from the Etsy fashion shop she had kept for the last few years. So theirs was a manageable situation.

Chat, on the other hand… She wouldn't hear the end of it. Like the one time she took a sewing course in Rennes. She went away for a week. A week in which nothing happened, not even non-akuma crime. But Chat was so. bent. on her not going.

"But… but Ladybug! What if there's an akuma and I'm here all alone and-- you know I can't cleanse them!"

She sighed. "Chaton, don't make me feel guiltier than I already am. I know. Besides, you won't be alone, you dramatic cat. You and Volpina can manage a week without me." She lifted his chin. "…unless of course, you already know that and the only reason you're throwing this tantrum is because you'll miss me." 

Chat's frown dissolved into his trademark cocky grin. "I bet you'll miss me more, m'lady." 

She rolled her eyes.

"Seriously though," he added. "What if--"

"If something happens I'll come back as soon as possible. Don't worry, kitty." She pecked his head. 

This time it'd be hard to keep that promise, Marinette reasoned. Kind of difficult to cross an entire ocean at a moment's notice. She hated lying to Chat, but Alya was right. This might be the only time they could do a trip like this. Besides, Adrien would be there! If his father let the leash loose that, is. But still, it would be a great memory and it would be her first time across the ocean. If Chat knew where exactly she was going it'd be hard to keep him content. 

"Evening, my lady," Chat Noir whispered softly behind her, prying a scream off her. 

"You stupid cat!" 

He chuckled. 

"You know I hate it when you sneak up on me." 

“Sorry to disgruntle you, my lady.” He perched next to her on the edge of the building where she had been patrolling. His cat ears twitched as he evaded her eyes. “Anything to report so far?”

“Not really. Volpina is coming in today, though.”

“Okay.” Silence. A very long silence where only the early summer breeze spoke. 

"So…" He scratched the back of his head.

"Spit it out." 

"Well… um…"

"The mouse got your tongue there, kitty?"

"Um… I need to talk to you." 

Ladybug dropped the banter, and if she had to be honest, her she felt a pit in her stomach. Serious wasn't the first word she'd think of when she described her friend and yet, here he was very, very serious indeed. 

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just… I might be out of town for a couple weeks."

She sighed. "You scared me, I thought you-- wait, what? You're leaving?"

"It's just two weeks, my lady."

"But… no. You can't leave."

He smirked. "Don't worry, I'll be thinking about you too."

"No! I mean, you can't leave because I'm also leaving!"

He cocked his head to the side much like a kitten would do, then he looked down to Paris. "Oh… Well. You know, I think I can stay. It's not even like, a definitive thing. So it's okay."

Ugh, this was just her luck. She sighed. She really wanted to go on that trip. The prospect of it excited her just as much as being Ladybug did. 

"No Chat, you go this time. Last time I took leave, remember? It's your turn." 

"No, Lady, it's fine. You can go. Besides, we can always ask Volpina if--."

"Ask me what alley cat?" Volpina emerged from the shadows, successfully startling Chat. If she knew any better, she'd say he even hissed at her. 

"What the-- how long had you been there?" he asked. "You practically made me--." He met Ladybug's knowing smirk. 

"Annoying, isn't it?" 

"When she does it, yeah. When I do it it's cute. I'm a cat. People love cats."

"I'm more of a dog person, actually," Ladybug said. 

“I can’t believe you actually said that.”

"See? She loves me more," Volpina teased Chat. 

"Oh, shuddup, flufftail." He crossed his arms and looked away. 

Volpina grinned. "So what were you two lovebugs discussing that couldn't have possibly waited for my arrival? Thanks for the inclusion, by the way." 

"Sorry Volpina." Ladybug said, scratching the back of her head. "It's just… well, we have a predicament, Chat and I. We both have to leave town for a couple of weeks and we were trying to decide who should stay." 

She frowned. Ladybug kept on blabbering, explaining that it wasn't that they didn't trust her with Paris it's just that well, she can only neutralize the akumas for so long and it's just gonna be her and… The frown carved deeper and deeper on her masked expression. 

"So you're eloping and you don't wanna tell me. Okay, I see how it is. No Volpina maid of honor then."

"What?" she screeched.

Chat Noir choked. 

"We're not eloping!"

"How did you know?!" 

Ladybug glared at Chat, who could only grin brightly at her. "Hey, I can dream. Can't I?" 

"Hey, hey, leave the cat alone," Volpina said, laughing. "I'm just teasin'. Look, go on your lovey-dovey vacation. It'll be alright. I can handle a few akumas, I'll keep them neutralized until you two come back. Besides, Hawkmoth has been awfully quiet lately. If you don't count that giant rat from the other day." 

"Which is why I'm worried he might be up to something," said Ladybug. "And we're not going on a vacation together."

"Well, it seems awfully convinient, don't you think?" Volpina said. She shrugged at Ladybug's pensive silence. "Either way. Don't you worry, Aunt Volpina will take care of silly baby Paris until mom and dad are back." 

Ladybug blushed bright red. She generally liked Volpina. Generally. 

Chat swinged an arm around Ladybug. "Heard that, bugaboo? Aunt Volpina will take care of our baby." 

"Chat, honey?" she said in the sweetest voice she could conjure.

"Yes, m'dear?" 

"You have exactly three seconds to let go of me before I kick your butt." 

Volpina chuckled. "Alright, your marital problems can wait. Let's get this patrol done. I need to finish rehearsing for my flute recital."

"No details about private life!" Ladybug exclaimed as they took to the roofs of Paris. "It's for security!"

"I don't really care if you know who I am, buggy."

"Thank you!" Chat exclaimed. "Finally someone agrees!"

"See?" Volpina said.

"Don't encourage him, Volpina!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things escalate too fucking quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty petits minous. Here's chapter two in which there is angst too quickly, too fast. I really had fun writing this. Planning trips is one of my favorite things to do and no lie I actually looked for plane tickets and stuff so I related to the kids' giddiness for their transatlantic adventure. 
> 
> I decided to keep my fanon!Volpina, because I realized I don't even know if this is Lila or not so it's technically safe ground. 
> 
> Also, thanks to everyone for their kind words. They really motivate me! ^__^
> 
> Enjoy!

He was ready. He had a printed copy and a USB back up with a thorough scientific research of the advantages of letting your seventeen year old son gain some independence by going on a transatlantic trip. He made graphic charts of crime rates over the last ten years in Orlando, Florida to convince him he did not need to bring along his pet gorilla. He made a motivation letter and an hourly schedule with his activities and location, marked the ones that were subjected to changes and added a note that read "I will notify Natalie of any change 24 hours prior." He also included a detailed profile of each of his friends, their contact information, their parents' contact information, and their profession. And just to make sure, he did a detailed budget that included transportation costs, accommodation, meals, entertainment, and souvenirs, and attached the last three statements of his bank account to prove he had enough money to cover for everything.

He was ready. He covered everything. If he knew his father at all, he would have no objections.

Adrien's legs felt like they were made of Jell-O. Suddenly, his father's office was too small, too stuffy. Oh gosh, the last thing he needed was to faint in front of him.

Gabriel Agreste simply remitted to skim through the pages, only pausing once or twice for a couple of seconds, muttering something, and then continuing. He froze when he got to the Friends' Profile section. Gabriel looked up at his son.

"Marinette Dupain?"

"Dupain-Cheng," he said, nodding vigorously. "She wants to pursue a career in fashion. Has the sixth  highest grade of the class and really looks up to you. You admitted her to the internship program, said it was one of the best applications you have seen in years."

Gabriel did not comment, simply went back to reading. That was a good sign. A very good sign.

After what had to be the longest silence in history, Gabriel finally spoke. He closed the file, sighed, and took off his glasses. He only did that when he was being especially serious. Adrien could not believe it. Did he actually do it? Did he actually convince his father on the first try? Ignoring the 48 hours of intensive research, it was relatively easy.

"I appreciate that you put so much time into this."

Holy shit.

_Someone pinch me._

"It seems like this trip would measure up to our standards."

_Oh. My. Actual. God. Holy kwamis, Ladybug._

"And you have worked hard."

_ORLANDO HERE WE GO! OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD. I'M CALLING DIBS ON THE BED NEXT TO THE WINDOW. **I'M CALLING DIBS ON THE SEAT NEXT TO MARINETTE.**_

"But you do realize this schedule overlaps with your summer photo shooting."

Adrien's stomach dropped and his hands ached with anxiety. "Well… um, I wa--was hoping we could r-reschedule. Because… well, those two weeks are the only ones that are relatively free. Y-you know we have your summer show, and then yo--you told me to be there to receive the summer interns so I thought…"

"The answer is no."

"But dad." His voice cracked. "All of my friends are going! A--and I've worked _really_ hard."

"That does not mean we get to shrug away from responsibilities, Adrien."

"I'm not, I'm just asking for a little flexibility. I'll do the photoshoot as soon as I'm back."

"Are you not part of this company? Are you not aware of how we work?"

"Only because you want me to," he muttered under his breath, although loud enough for Gabriel to listen.

"This label does not simply ask for flexibility. You need to start taking more responsibility, you're going to be managing this company soon."

Adrien's horror was practically impossible to hide. This was a nightmare, a nightmare he knew would become reality sooner or later, but nonetheless it scared him beyond words. So he wasn't thinking, really, when he blurted out, "I don't want to run the company."

Gabriel laughed. He actually laughed. "What?"

"I don't want to be a model and I don't want to run the label." His voice quivered but he knew better than to waste the momentum. Who knew when he'd gather enough bravery to confront his dad again like this?

"I want to go to university."

"Of course you will. You're an Agreste, not some hillybilly."

"I want to go to Paris Tech," he added. "I get really good grades in physics and math, dad. Even with all this nonsense. My teacher keeps telling me I'm wasting my talent."

"Your talent is in the fashion industry, Adrien."

"No, that's just what you want me to do. I can't even remember the first time I did a photoshoot, let alone enjoy it. But for the first time in my life I'm actually really, really good at doing something not just having a pretty face. And I want to do it. I don't care what I have to do."

Adrien felt like he could not breathe but he soldiered on and stood his ground. He summoned as much of his Chat Noir as he could and stared down his dad. He wasn't fourteen anymore, he could not intimidate him so easily.

Gabriel nodded and turned around to contemplate his view of the city. "I understand," he said. "You have been in a lot of stress lately and you are obviously tired."

Adrien did not understand where he was going with this.

"Clearly you've lost sight of our priorities."

"I have not--."

"So you have my permission to go with your friends to America. I will make the necessary arrangements."

"But that's not--."

"You can thank me later." He glanced at his wristwatch. "But for now I think it's fair to say you should head to bed. It's twenty past ten. Good night, Adrien."

Gabriel walked him out the office and closed the door behind him. Adrien did not know what just had happened, or how to feel about it. It wasn't until he was in his room that everything clicked.

He was angry. He was sad. He was happy. He was excited. He was frustrated. He wanted to scream, to punch a wall, to cry, to laugh, all at the same time.

"Yo, you okay, nerd?" Plagg hurried to ask when Adrien entered the room. He must've looked worse than he thought.

He was breathing too fast. He needed to get this out of his system.

"No, no I'M NOT!" He smashed the file against the wall, the pages flew and covered the ground. Plagg was startled.

Adrien fell on his knees and shivered, it took Plagg a moment to realize Adrien was crying silently-- the only way he knows how to cry.

"Adrien…"

"No Plagg!" he shrugged away. "He always does this." Adrien sniffed. "It's not fair! What do I have to do? He always ruins things for me. He's never going to let me be entirely happy. Never."

He felt Plagg press supportively against his shoulder.

"I want to get out of here," he said in between tears. "Get ready to transform. Plagg, claws--."

"No!" Plagg interrupted. "No kid, you can't go out like this."

"Oh, so now _you_ are also giving me orders?"

Plagg frowned. "You can't transform like this, Adrien." He ignored the boy for his benefit. "If a miraculous holder transforms while having strong negative emotions, their miraculous will be plagued. That's what happened to Hawkmoth. And it can happen to you or Ladybug."

Adrien's eyes widened.

"We can go out, but you need to calm down first."

Plagg let him cry, let him curse, scream into a pillow, for what was easily three hours' worth of time.

Eventually, Adrien cried himself dry and punched the bed until he couldn't lift his arms. He was exhausted, but still, he transformed. Being Chat Noir gave him freedom, gave him enough ground to hold onto his sanity.

He breathed the crisp midnight air as he hopped from building to building and yelled without care, lightly, and joyful. It was moments like this when he questioned what would have become of him if he hadn't been chosen to bear the cat's ring. He was a bit frightened to open that particular Pandora box.

"Well, it seems like the cat's out of the bag."

Chat Noir cried a very feline sound. He rolled his eyes when he found Volpina grinning back at him. "It's just you."

"Lookin' for your lady? Kinda late for a booty call, don't you think?"

His ears drooped slightly and he delayed enough to respond that Volpina noticed he wasn't in the mood for games.

"For a change, not really. I just needed to get away from my house for a moment."

"Oh." She cleared her throat and sat next to him. "Well… uh. Aunt Volpina listens to her nephews, you know?"

He smiled. "Thanks."

"So are you gonna tell me what's going on or you're just gonna play sad kitten until dawn? I'm no Ladybug. Kitty eyes don't work on me."

"They don't work on her, either," he said, sounding a little more bitter than he intended. Volpina simply rolled her eyes. "But that's a topic for another day, auntie." He sighed. "It's just… this trip that I'm taking. My dad is super strict with me. He let me start school when I was fourteen only because I kept escaping from the house. And well, you can imagine. So, the thing is I'm about to start my last school year with my friends and even though they're all staying here I know things change. I'm not dumb. And they all got all these amazing things going on in their lives and I'm just here. Being Chat Noir is the only highlight of my life, Volpina. So, long story short, they decided we should go to Florida, to Disney." He laughed.

"But… there's one here."

"I know, but that's not the point. The point is that we're going to be traveling alone for the first time… And this girl I like, she's going, too."

She gasped. "You cheat on Ladybug? How dare you!"

Chat Noir laughed so much his ribs hurt. "Volpina, you can't be serious."

The shock on her face told Chat it was not the case.

He smiled sadly at her. "Come on, foxy. You can't be that dense. It's a game."

"So… you two… you're not really dating?"

He cackled. "Dating?! Ha! I wish."

"It seemed to me like you were a thing. Like, in civilian life, I mean. I always thought Ladybug just didn't want me to know who you two were."

He was flattered. "Really, we give off that vibe?"

She nodded. "So, you don't like her?"

"Oh, no. I do. Totally. I've always been madly in love with her but… well, she just doesn't feel the same way. And yeah, it's rough. Especially because I see her practically every day but this girl… she's amazing, you know? And the thing is, I know we're not supposed to reveal our identities to anyone. But if I had to pick anyone, outside of you two of course, that would be her. She's been a great friend to me. Actually, she kinda reminds me of Ladybug."

"That's a bit creepy though."

Chat laughed.

"What if she _is_ Ladybug?" Volpina said.

He laughed out loud. "No, no. No way. This girl, she's super sweet and shy around me and just… no. She couldn't be. Besides it'd be kind of stupid, and I think I'd know. Like, I've known her for as long as I've known Ladybug. She sat behind me for all of school. Could you imagine?"

"Yeah, it'd be a testimonial to your blindness. And I, of course, would never let it go. I'd tell the other miraculous holders. And then we'd all make fun of you."

"Dumb fox," he said, nudging her.

"Stupid cat," she imitated his gesture. "So… how ever did your sob story end, fly bag?"

"Well, I knew it'd be hard to convince my dad so I did this ridiculously detailed research, right? He literally had no reason to say no. But he just pulled the most ridiculous excuse and only agreed to let me go when I confronted him about some other things that have been happening. I told him that I did not want to go into the family business and he just went like 'Oh you're being irrational again. Must be the stress. Here, I'll give something you really want so you have no other choice than to do what I say.'"

"Your dad sounds like he has no chill."

He nodded. "None whatsoever."

Volpina's miraculous beeped. Chat smiled at her. "You're about to turn into a pumpkin, foxy."

It wasn't long before Chat's beeped, too. "And me, too, apparently."

He got up and helped Volpina to her feet. "So, when are you leaving?"

"In a couple weeks."

"Just like Ladybug. Seriously? Don't you guys ever like, think about this and go like 'oh fuck I might know this idiot in civilian life'? Aren't you curious to know?"

"Oh, I am. I have some theories. But to be perfectly honest, I'm kind of scared to test them out."

The ring beeped again. "I'm afraid that's my cue. See you around, fox. And… thanks for listening."

"Always a pleasure to guide stranded youth. Oh and Chat?"

"Yeah."

She talked honestly, no smart-assing, no banter. "You should tell Ladybug how you feel."

His smile was tainted with pain. "I already have."

"No, but really. Without games, without flirting. As whoever it is that you are without the ring."

And speaking of which, it beeped again.

"I'll keep it in mind."

\---

"Mom, it's not like that!" Marinette whimpered with shame, covering her face with a cushion.

"If you're old enough to cross the Atlantic, you're old enough to keep these in your purse."

"I'M NOT EVEN DATING ANYONE!"

"You're not fooling me young lady, I was eighteen too once, you know?"

Marinette grumbled unintelligible things and reluctantly shoved the condoms into her purse. The same very purse where Tikki was. Condoms and Tikki in the same bag. She wanted to die.

"Besides, Adrien is going, isn't he?"

"MOM!" She screeched. "No! It's not like that, we are FRIENDS. For the umpteenth time!"

"Honey, there is nothing to be ashamed of," her dad intervened. "Sex is a very natural, beautiful-- where are you going?"

"Oh my god, no. I'm not having this conversation." She sprinted up to her alcove and shut the trapdoor close.

"We love you baby!" Sabine said from the kitchen.

"Parenting is so fun," said her husband.

Sabine laughed. "Agreed."

Needless to say, Alya laughed her lungs out when Marinette called her to narrate the condom fiasco.

"Oh my gosh, I wish I could've been there to see it! I love your parents."

"Eff you."

"It's brilliant! 'Sides girl, you can't say they're _that_ much off the trail, if you catch my drift."

"I actually don't."

"Girl. Ple-ease. PLEASE. Adrien is going. You mean to tell me you're not going to do anything about it?"

Marinette sighed. "We've had this conversation, Alya. I don't think Adrien really thinks of me that way. I mean, it's been four years, hasn't it? Plenty of time."

"You two are a lost case, I swear to god. But on the bright side, if you're not using those condoms, I will."

"ALYA!"

"With Nino, of course."

"That's too much information!"

"It's totally not. Oh and by the way, we can and will sexile you."

"You're terrible."

"So we're meeting up to buy the tickets and stuff later?"

"Sure."

"Actually," Alya said. "Make that tomorrow morning. There's an akuma attack. Gotta go film."

"What?" Marinette chimed, almost complaining and reaching for her screen.

"Channel 7. It' a scientist."

_Just my freakin' luck._

"Alright." She sighed. "Be safe!"

\--

"Bye bye, little butterfly!"

It was the end of another day. Another attack in Paris, another akuma successfully neutralized. Baby Paris was safe again. Chat was relieved it took them relatively little time to defeat it because Adrien was running late for his trip-planning meeting with his friends. For once in his life he was slightly more excited to be Adrien than Chat Noir. But just slightly.

"Pound it!" Ladybug and Chat Noir did their trademark fist bump. Volpina just caught up with them in time.

"You two seriously need to come up with another secret handshake so I can stop thirdwheeling," she complained.

They blushed.

"Whoops, hold on," Chat Noir chimed and gingerly picked a couple of twigs that got stuck on Ladybug's hair. It was one of those odd moments when he wasn't trying to be flirty or dramatic. It was one of those very, very rare occasions when Chat was unexpectedly gentle.

Ladybug felt the heat radiating off her face.  There was a single pink blossom on the twig. He plucked it and put it back on her hair and gave her a smile that was grossly reminiscent of another very different blonde she knew. She shook the thought off her head, but it was one of those things that she could not unsee. Chat as Adrien.

_Ew, no. Stop it Marinette._

"There you go, m'lady… Now,  I wish I could stay longer, but this kitty has to go now."  He vowed down and kissed the back of Ladybug's hand. "Always a pleasure, Ladybug." He nodded at Volpina, "Fox." 

Volpina smirked at Ladybug's inability to control her reactions. It was obvious she was disappointed Chat had to leave so fast. And it's not that she wasn't late to her own appointments, but Ladybug realized she had not seen much of him in the past days. Like Volpina said, Hawkmoth had been awfully inactive these past few weeks. And while yes, it was a nice break, no akumas also meant no Chat Noir.

"It's only two weeks, insect," Volpina said smugly, as Chat Noir walked away.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Her miraculous beeped, and she was glad for it. It made it easier to hide her blushing face. "Gotta go."

Volpina rolled her eyes and cursed under her breath. Those stupid two sometimes got the best of her.

\---

"Sorry to be late!" Marinette tripped over herself as she rushed into their rendez-vous place, a tiny coffee shop a few blocks away from their lycée. If it wasn't for Adrien's quick reflexes, she would have knocked down Nino's drink.

"Sorrysorrysorry!"

Adrien chuckled and gripped her tightly. "Easy, now. It's okay."

Nino and Alya rolled their eyes at Marinette's trademark reaction to Adrian: mumbling incoherent noises and glowing brighter than a stop light.

"Break it up you two, we have a lot to cover," Alya said. "And both of you were late."

"Sorry," Marinette apologized again.

"So how are we looking on dates?" Alya asked. "Summer break starts next Friday."

Adrien squinted at Alya's screen and sighed. No use trying to pretend his eyesight had gotten a little worse than Chat Noir's over the past few years.

 _I look like a fucking nerd with these_ , he thought and reluctantly put them on. Nino grinned.

"Don't. Say. Anything." He scrolled down, typed a few things, and meanwhile Marinette tried not to gawk. "We could fly the next Monday and be back in two weeks. My dad's condition was that I be back before the twentieth. "

Alya nodded. "Alright. You two have an objection with that?"

Nino and Marinette shook their heads.

"My only objection is," Nino said, showing the screen of his computer to his friends. "That we stay here."

The other three looked at the hotel Nino wanted and looked at him with eyes of worry. "It's like Disney barfed all over the place," Alya said, amused.

"But they have sketches of their animation!" Marinette pointed out.

Alya and Adrien smiled at the way Nino and Marinette's faces lit up while looking at the pictures.

"Okay, you take care of that, Nino," said Alya as she typed furiously. "Aaaand I need names. Full names. IDs. This is not a drill people, come on."

Giddily, everyone handed Alya their passports, credit cards, and grinned at each other as she filled in the plane ticket forms.

Adrien was so excited he could do little to prevent himself from jumping up and down. "I can't believe this is happening!"

Marinette beamed at him. "How ever did you convince your dad?"

She immediately regretted asking that. His smile didn't really fade, nor his enthusiasm, but the pang of pain flashed across his face. If she had blinked, she would have missed it.

"I like to think I just had good luck!"

"Aaaand done," Alya tapped the Enter button and the tickets were theirs. "Seats 12 A and B are you and me, Nino. 13 A and B are for miss Dupain-Cheng and mister Agreste."

Marinette could not help blushing. Apparently, neither could Adrien.

Nino got away with the accommodation, they would be staying at the Art of Animation Disney Resort. He also proved to be especially insistent with the topic of visiting Universal Studios for at least one day. Being his best friend, Adrien knew how Nino got when you touched the Potter subject. Once, he realized Adrien not only had not read any of the books, but he wasn't really interested in the movies either. Nino more or less kidnapped him until they completed the eight-movie marathon. So he knew better than to side with Alya and Marinette on this one. It was worse than trying to take catnip from a cat.

The days prior to their trip went by in a hyped daze for Marinette. Thankfully, there were a lot of things to take care of before parting for her vacation. Preparations that involved shopping sessions with Alya and more meetings with Adrien. She barely had any time to complain about the occasional akuma, or even the lack of Chat Noir in her daily schedule.

Yes. Everything was going perfectly. She had even been texting Adrien on a daily basis! It's not that she hadn't developed a closer friendship with him over the years, but this trip definitely brought them together in a different way. For example, he would text her with random, terrible jokes.

The afternoon after she declared she didn't understand how he could like chemistry, he texted:

**“I'd tell you a chemistry joke but I know I wouldn't get a reaction.”**

_“what.”_

**"Have you ever tried to eat a clock? It's very time consuming."**

  _"Oh my god. Not you too."_

  **"I went to the see the panda cubs at the zoo yesterday. I found them unbearable."**

  _"Adrien."_

  **"I was gonna tell you a joke about sodium but then I thought, Na…"**

  _"omg."_

  **":D"**

_"you sure you’re not Chat Noir? XD"_

Adrien almost dropped his phone. "I think I overdid it a little, no Plagg?"

"You earned it. I keep telling you those jokes are stupid."

Adrien grinned at his phone and laughed. "They bother her almost as much as they bother Ladybug."

At his silence, Marinette teased him.  _"The *chat* got your tongue there?"_

 _Oh my god! She made a pun!_ he thought. 

  **First, good job. Second, that's totally something Ladybug would say. Are you sure you're not Ladybug? :v "**

_"Ladybug doesn't use puns ;)"_

  **"How do you even know? She might share my incredible sense of humor."**

Ha. Right.

_"She doesn't look like the punny type."_

  **"You're right. She's the *buggy* type."**

Marinette groaned at her phone but could not wipe the stupid grin off her face. Although, for a moment, she felt a tad guilty. Chat Noir always tried to get on her good side with this type of joke and she can't remember the last time she went with it. But change Chat for Adrien and she was suddenly a sucker for bad puns. Amazingly, the thought made her uncomfortable and… sad?

_"Alright, I'm going to bed before I die from frustration with you."_

Adrien was a little disappointed but he didn't want to make a fuzz out of it. If his luck trying to persuade girls was as good as Chat Noir's, it was probably best not to push it.

  **"'night mari."**

_"night adrien."_

“Sweet dreams, princess,” he muttered at his phone.

 ---

Marinette could count with her hand the times an akuma had really scared her. This one was one of them. A surgeon was akumatized right after he failed to save the life of a young girl. The monster he turned into was the thing of nightmares. Pale body, like a cadaver, and able to shoot blades and syringes as a form of attack.

The fight was not one of the team's most gracious. The surgeon's grief made him powerful and deadly. Sheer luck was the only thing saving her from being impaled with the knives. There were a lot of close calls, various injuries, but they managed. She collected the surgical mask where the akuma lodged, she cleansed it, turned everything back to normal.

Easy.

Except Chat had been awfully quiet for a while.

When she turned to look for him, she found a hellish sight. His body crumpled on the floor, surrounded by a small but spreading pool of a dark liquid.

She could not run fast enough to meet him. Sobs got stuck on her throat, she chocked, she could not breathe, tears clouded her vision. Finally, in a gasp, she spoke, and all she could say was his name.

"Chat… Chat Noir!"

She whimpered. He did not move.

"Chat Noir!"

Nothing. He was…. No, he could not be.

"Chat… I love you," she cried. "Please don't leave. I love you, chaton."

 He detransformed. And to her horror, there was Adrien.

 "AH!" She woke up in a jolt.

A thin stream of silver light pouring through her window fought the enveloping darkness of the room. It took her a moment to take notice of her dampened cheeks, her ragged breath, her heart pumping blood furiously.

"Marinette?" A drowsy Tikki intervened. "What's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare about Chat Noir," she confessed. To her surprise, it was hard to keep her composure when she said his name. "It's okay, go back to sleep."

Tikki nuzzled her cheek in support, and then took Marinette's word.

"Just a nightmare," she muttered, and tried to sleep to no avail. _It's just two weeks, Marinette. He will be fine._

\---

Monday nights were patrolling nights for Ladybug and Chat Noir, but since they both were coincidentally scheduled to leave on that day, they arranged to meet up the night before. With Volpina, the fact that they had to be actively looking for Master Fu's successor, figuring out Hawkmoth's identity, and looking for a potential holder for the bumblebee miraculous, on top of being a blossoming young adult, there was not much time for Ladybug and Chat Noir to enjoy patrolling like the good old days. It wasn’t complaining, technically, but this thing with being a miraculous holder had gotten more complex over time. Marinette enjoyed it, she loved being Ladybug more than anything. But if she was to be frank, things were changing too fast. Chat Noir wasn't fourteen anymore, he wasn't overtly expressive of his undying love for her anymore. Sure, there was still the flirting and the winking, but she felt Chat did it more out of habit than genuine attraction, and that made her inexplicably sad.

She hated feeling this way, because even though she did not know who Chat was in civilian life, it was clear he was a great person and he deserved to be happy. It was selfish of her to try and keep him for herself.

"Ready for your vacation, m'lady?" As usual, he startled her. He met her with a grin of pearly whites.

"Evening to you too, chaton."

Chat joined Ladybug by the edge of the building. Today's location pick was Notre Dame. Patrolling went by painstakingly slow, haunted by a dull silence. It was not the silence they were used to, easy and comfortable. This silence had things to be said, things that were knowingly withheld.

"And are _you_ ready for your vacation, kitty?"

He nodded vigorously. "Yep!"

Ladybug gave him a smirk. Silence again.

"What's wrong, my lady?" He cocked his head to the side.

She sighed. Was she really that easy to read? Volpina teased her about her transparency, but she never thought there was an element of truth in her jokes.

"Nothing," she said with a smile. "It's just… I'm going to miss you, chaton."

Chat's stomach dropped at the sincerity of her words. "Oh."

_You should tell her. Tell her you’ll miss her too._

“Well, of course I’ll also miss you, my lady! Don’t go about petting other kittens while you’re gone or I’ll get purretty jealous.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes in good nature.

_But **mean** it, you idiot. _

“And…” he said, dropping the act and smiling kindly at her. “It’s only two weeks, Ladybug.”

There it was again. That smile. That stupid smile that made her imagine stupid things like Adrien Agreste being Chat Noir. She fixed her eyes on him, studying him for a moment.

Chat blushed. “What?”

She chuckled. “Nothing. It’s just sometimes… I swear I’ve seen you somewhere else.”

His eyes widened. Oh boy, it was one of those conversations, wasn’t it? This has happened before. Moments where Ladybug wasn’t talking to Chat, she was talking to whoever was underneath the suit. To Adrien. And his reaction was usually very predictable: to run and hide. Because the alternative was to confront her, and the alternative led to a path they both had been actively evading with more effort each time: revealing their identities.

“Honestly, by now you probably have, my lady.”  

Ladybug’s miraculous beeped shortly before Chat Noir’s did.

“We have to go now,” she admitted sadly. “Have a great vacation, kitty.”

She prepared to throw her yoyo, but in an inexplicable surge of bravery, Chat took her hand. “What, no goodbye hug for your kitty cat? What if I die or something and you never see me again?” he joked. But that innocent remark struck more than a few sensitive chords.

“Don’t you say that!” she snapped at him. “Don’t play with that, Chat Noir! I’m serious.”

He chuckled and played with the idea of teasing her about her dramatics, but he knew better. Ladybug meant it. So much so that she hugged her tightly than she ever had. He felt guilty.

No matter how much time passed or how much he repeated to himself that he did not like her anymore, it only took a hug, a peck on the cheek, and he’d be hers again. He hated that, and at the same time, not. So he relaxed into the hug, noticing that for a change, her heart was beating as fast as his.

She nuzzled against his chest and Chat sighed, never wanting her to part. Suddenly and for a second only, he dreaded the idea of Orlando. He rested his chin on top of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo and occasionally pressing his lips against her hair.

“How much more are we going to pretend, Ladybug?” he muttered sadly, with a knot on his throat.

Her silence broke his heart like it had done on multiple occasions before. He breathed in, squeezed her tightly and let go of her. He broke apart and met with a first: her cheeks were damp and she did not dare to look at him.

Their miraculouses beeped for the third or four time, Chat did not know but it was dangerous to stay.

He wiped off the tears and gently lifted her face to look up at him. He simply smiled. “I know I’m the most handsome friend you have but don't miss me  _too_ much.”

She chuckled and muttered something along the lines of, “stupid cat.”

“Have fun, Chat Noir,” Ladybug said, for once wishing she knew his real name.

He nodded. “Bring me some souvenirs, will you? I’ll try to guess where you went.”

They fled before either could catch glimpse of each other.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh yes, I love me some good Ladynoir conflict. I really like this idea that they wouldn't reveal themselves until it is absolutely inevitable. Like, they're THERE already, you know? But they're both so stubborn.
> 
> Either way, gotta run. See ya in the next chapter. Hope you liked it! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which three things happen:  
> 1.Unexpectedly lovesick Marinette  
> 2\. Unexpectedly *Chatty* Adrien  
> 3\. I realize I might have a second fanfic stemming from this one (brownie points if you spot it :D )  
> 4\. (I lied, there's four things) I indulge my need for angsty fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna give a big shoutout to all of you guys who have been encouraging me with your comments here and in Tumblr. I appreciate the love so much! I'm glad you like this story as much as I do :')
> 
> Also, here's the link to Marinette and Adrien's Playlist on Spotify, coded AtP cuz I used my "civilian" account 8D (pls dont reveal my identity)  
> https://open.spotify.com/user/1278525189/playlist/6CW2ewYYqv7mVUMwVIA5G9
> 
> I'll be posting the playlist on Tumblr (coccinelle-et-chaton.tumblr.com), too, and my headcanons about who picked which song. You're welcome to share yours too!
> 
> That is all, enjoy.

Marinette's phone lit up with an arriving message. It was unlike Alya to text her this late at night but she complied, she was having a hard time falling asleep anyway. She could not get Chat out of her head.

"Knock knock."

To her surprise, it wasn't Alya.

"Hey. What are you doing up so late?" Marinette felt compelled to tease Adrien with a nickname, but she only could think of the ones she had for Chat Noir.

"Couldn't sleep. Too excited." He added a grinning kitty emoticon.

 _You are an actual dork, Adrien._ Marinette thought, unable to stop a smile from plaging her face.

"The cat emoticon, really?"

"What, I love cats. Everybody does, they're super cute."

"I'm more of a dog person, actually."

"I can't believe you actually--." The words were so familiar, Adrien actually dropped his phone on his face. "hfajkg"

"???"

"Dropped my phone, sorry. Ouch."

Marinette laughed. "Did you mean: meowch?"

"Again. Are you sure you're not Ladybug?" he teased, secretly terrified she'd say yes. _Imagine that,_ he thought, almost having a heart attack.

"Yep. I double-checked this morning." She bit her lip at her next idea, knowing it was dangerous. But this was an opportunity she never had before. "You seem to know a lot about Ladybug. You got a crush on her or something?"

"She's happened to save me like, three times, thank you very much. I'm like, her husband already."

"tru lov."

"Very. We're getting married next winter. You're invited."

Marinette laughed so loud, she was worried she’d wake up her parents.

"Really? Hmm… I bet Chat Noir will have a thing or two to say about that."

His heart skipped a beat, remembering how painful it was to meet Ladybug that evening.

"Excuse you, is Chat Noir a supermodel? Nope."

"He's *Chat Noir*, he doesn’t need to be a supermodel."

"Now now, *you* seem to have a crush on Chat Noir, miss."

She blushed. _Stupid Adrien._

"Who wouldn't, honestly."

"OMG YOU DO?"

"I have a healthy admiration for him, as any other Parisian."

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You actually have a crush on Chat Noir, I can't believe."

"Well don't be so smug about it, Mister Ladybug." She added in a crying-of-laughter emoticon.

Adrien felt jealous of himself, if that was even possible. He knew for a fact Ladybug had a crush on Adrien Agreste. And now Marinette had a crush on Chat Noir. Just his luck.

On the other hand, Marinette's ego had seen better days. So far the two boys she was in love with were in love with Ladybug –which technically was still her-- but Marinette herself… Well, she was still waiting. She tried not to think too hard about that, it always made her feel miserable.

Plagg interrupted Adrien's next message, groaning with annoyance. "For all that's holy in this world, TURN THAT THING OFF KID! It's three in the morning already, you have to be up in two hours and I'm sure as hell I'm not getting my beauty sleep!"

"You'll have _nineteen hours_ to sleep, Plagg."

"I don't care. Turn that thing down. And I hope you didn't forget to pack enough Camambert, 'cause I don't trust those Americans and their weird cheese."

He sighed. "Nope. I got enough that they will think I'm smuggling drugs, don't worry. Go back to sleep."

"Turn. It. Off."

"Fine, let me just say goodnight."

Plagg groaned, but complied.

Adrien texted. "Hey, I have to go. My cat is annoyed at me that I woke him up. If I don't go now he'll scratch off my face."

"I didn't know you have a cat!"

"There's many things you don't know about me--."

He fixed his sight on the winking writing bar, with his fingers tingling to write the next word. He felt compelled to give her a nickname. This always made him feel closer to people, for some reason. He wouldn't call her princess because that would be obvious. And the other one… that was for Ladybug only.

He did not know why he did it. Wish-fulfillment, maybe? What if Volpina was right, what if the fact she's also a dog person-- he still hoped that was just banter, though-- was not a coincidence? It was a long shot, not plausible at all. But he was so heartbroken about his unrequitted feelings that for an instant, he let himself dream.

He finished his sentence.

There's a lot you don't know about me, m' lady." And added a winking cat emoticon.

He logged off.

Marinette could not sleep at all that night.

 

\---

 

  _Naaaaaahh. He's bluffing, Marinette. Just. It's a coincidence, don't panic. Don't. Breathe, come on. In and out. In and out. Adrien Agreste is not Chat Noir. You're imagining things. You´re imagining things because you… like? Oh my god, you like Chat Noir and now you're projecting him onto Adrien. Get your shit together. No. You don't like Chat Noir, you like Adrien. You're just too selfish to let him move on from you._

The worst part was she couldn't exactly tell Alya why this was so unsettling. And the only friend she could talk to would have to stay hidden for two weeks, straight.

The Dupain-Chengs drove Alya, Nino, and Marinette to the airport. They'd meet Adrien there. It was always a treat to be with Marinette's parents, no matter how much they embarassed Marinette. They knew how to bribe her friends into their side: with pastries for breakfast. Against Marinette's will, they packed three extra breakfast bags, defending the fact they could eat while they documented their bags. Alya and Nino shushed Marinette when she started arguing that it wasn't even that long of a wait. Actually, by the time they were at the airport, they were almost done with their treats.

"Hey man," Nino greeted Adrien, wiping the sugar off his mouth. “You ready for this?” Adrien looked longingly at the paper bag he held. He barely got a toast and warm coffee for breakfast.

"What were you eating?"

"Croissants from Mari's parents. "

"Oh…"

As if on cue, Marinette's mom prodded her daughter. "Cherrie, give Adrien his bag. Poor boy hasn't had breakfast yet."

She blushed bright red.

Adrien smiled at Marinette’s mom. "Thanks, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng."

To say he practically absorbed the treats would be a gross understatement.

Since Natalie's duty was to simply drop off Adrien and wait until his friends arrived, the only ones to bid them farewell were Dupain-Chengs. Adrien had to admit he was kind of jealous of Marinette in situations like these. Her parents were so warm and fun, he wished she invited him to her house more often.

After documenting their luggage, the couple hugged all of them, wished them a good flight, and as any normal parent would, nagged them a little with warnings and recommendations.

"Don't talk to strangers, and remember you're not allowed to drink in the United States, don't go to bed too late, and stay out of trouble. Marinette has our phones, if any of you are in trouble, please give us a call."

Marinette wanted the earth to swallow her. The rest found it endearing.

With that, they went into the Air Safety queue. Adrien was so giddy, he had trouble taking off his shoes and belt when he passed through the metal detector. For once, he was probably clumsier than Marinette herself. But also, for once, he did not need to be Chat Noir to feel free.

Two weeks. Two entire weeks without his dad, or Natalie, or George the Gorilla. Two weeks without photoshoots, without being told to sit straight, to not laugh too loud, to not eat too much, without crazy girls following him around. He was in a daze, this was great!

Adrien was so distracted he didn't hear when the officer asked him to remove his ring.

_Shit._

"What?"

"Your ring, take it off and put it on your tray." The guard seemed annoyed with him.

"O-okay."

Marinette could have sworn she saw a green light flash on the pocket of his jacket. She would have mulled over it, if it weren't for the fact that she had her own earrings to take care of. But she was prepared. Tikki was on her purse, safely hidden, and she'd disappear as soon as she'd put them in their little wooden box with none the wiser.

Making the most of the distracted attention of her friends, she inconspicuously took her jewelry off.

She passed through the metal detector just fine and caught up with Adrien and Nino to put on her things again and wait for Alya.

"That's a cool box," Nino pointed out.

"Eek! what?" She shoved it right into the purse and snapped it shut before he could see Tikki.

"Your earring box."

Adrien could've sworn he saw the purse flash in red as she closed it.

"Ah, th-thanks."

Nino smiled and made nothing of it.

Adrien never imagined how hard it would be to slip away from his friends to put on the ring and feed Plagg. First he claimed he was going to get a coffee. Alya went with him. Then he said he was going to check out the shops, Marinette went along because she wanted to buy a book. Bathroom, he said, and Nino went along. Finally, there was no more use than to hide behind a service kart. 

"Hurry up, Plagg, it's almost boarding time!"

Plagg shoved the piece of Camembert into his tiny mouth and hid in Adrien's satchel.

He rushed to find Marinette. "Hey!"

"Where were you?" she asked, worry was noticeable on her voice.

"I… uh… was calling my dad."

As they went into the plane, Alya and Marinette couldn't help but to squeal. They were actually doing this! And what better way to cross the Atlantic for the first time than with your best friend!

"Listen girl," said Alya, quietly so that the boys would not hear. "Nineteen hours is a lot of time so if you get too nervous or anything you can come sit with me. I'll tell Nino to switch."

"Okay, thanks."

Meanwhile, Nino's advice was a pat on the back and: "Make me proud, little grasshopper."

"Sometimes you really weird me out, you know that, right?"

Nino grinned.

Adrien let Marinette sit by the window, claiming that he flew more often than he liked and the thrill was a bit dead for him. She conceded because the window would be a good way to divert her attention from him. It was finally dawning upon her that she'd have nineteen hours exclusively with Adrien Agreste. She had successfully managed to ignore that inevitable fact, but now… well, it was safe to say she could have a heart stroke if she tried.

"It helps to listen to music if you're nervous," Adrien commented, noticing Marinette clenched the armrests.

"Right, right." She opened her purse and Adrien saw a glimpse of the wooden box Nino commented on earlier. It was very familiar.

Marinette cursed under her breath. "No! I forgot my headphones, ugh!" She scrambled the contents of her bag to no avail, she remembered Tikki reminded her not to forget to pick them up from her desk. 

"Ugh, why…"

Adrien reached for his bag and touched around for his headphones. "Here, we can share."

She blushed. "I don't think you'll like--"

"That's fine, we can take turns. That way you'll have to cope with my terrible taste, as well."

"I-- uh… Okay. You go first."

She gasped as the plane elevated into the air. Just as she gained a bird's view of Paris, Adrien pressed play on a Maroon 5 song.  He was right, it helped. It excited her, even. She could see the entire city from up here. Not that she didn't get some stunning views while patrolling, but she had never seen it as a whole. Marinette found herself proud to be defending such a beautiful city. She spotted her common rendezvous spots with Chat, the college she used to attend, Notre Dame, the Trocadéro, everything. They were right when they said Paris is the city of love. 

As Paris got tinier and tinier, she remembered a certain cat she'd left behind. Well, not exactly behind, he probably was on his way to his vacation, too, but she still felt a pang of longing.

She put a hand to the window, now chilly because of the altitude, and whispered, "See you soon, chaton."

"Your turn," said Adrien, unplugging the headphones. She picked something safe for now, something by Jagged Stone.

He smiled at her. "Remember that time you made a cover for Jagged Stone? That was pretty cool."

She blushed. "Yeah… he kinda asks me for costume designs every now and then."

"That's awesome!" He said excitedly. "I didn't know you still worked with him."

She smirked. "Oh, there's a lot of things you don't know about me."

He gulped. "Heh…"

"So what's your cat's name?"

 _Crap_.

"Er… um, Cheese. Mister Cheese." From the corner of his eye, he spotted something moving in his satchel, he kicked it.

She nodded.

"I can't believe you're a dog person, though."

Marinette shrugged.

"You know why?"

"Why?"

He leaned in closer, causing Marinette to flush. He whispered, snickering, "'Cause you've got the hots for Chat Noir."

Marinette couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Fine, but I still like dogs better. Your turn." She handed him the headphones.

Over the next hours and as soon as the WiFi kicked in, Marinette and Adrien developed a playlist they could listen to for the rest of the trip. To her pleasant surprise, Marinette found that their tastes weren't all that different. But he did like romantic songs a lot, if she did say so herself. She did not comment on it, the thought that he was willing to show that part of him to her made her dizzy.

"You like modeling music," he commented casually as he scrolled down through their finished product.

"Sorry?"

"They play a lot of these in fashion shows and photoshoots."

"Huh."

"Sorry, model thing."

"No, it's fine." She smiled at him. He was so cute when he was embarrassed! "So what should we call our playlist?"

"Hmm… How about, 'I can't believe Marinette is not a cat person even though she has a crush on Chat Noir, the soundtrack'?"

She rolled her eyes, unable to help herself from smiling.

"Kidding." He typed on the screen, "Marinette and Adrien's Playlist. There, good enough?"

"Very creative, yes." She didn't say it, but she was ecstatic about the playlist. The fact that it'd stay in his phone made her giddy. They _shared_ something, even if it was something silly like a playlist, it did not matter.

Eventually, conversation died off and settled in a very comfortable silence. Adrien pulled out a thick novel from his satchel, while Marinette lost herself in her sketchbook. For a while, Adrien's attention did drift into the book. But it was hard to keep it there. Marinette was completely oblivious to him while working on her designs. She made these cute expressions and muttered either to compliment or scold herself on a decision on the page. She didn't notice Adrien staring at her, or the fact that he couldn't help but feel endeared.

"I think that'd look better with straight cut pants."

"Eek!" She snapped her sketchbook close.

"Sorry." Adrien shrugged. "I was just… I kinda glanced a moment ago and saw you drew straight cut instead of skinny, I thought it looked better… sorry for snooping." He stuck his nose in his book and pretended to be very, very interested in the pages of his own book.

With the surprise once overcome, Marinette reviewed her work and found Adrien was right. It gave a different feel to the blouse she sketched, which was the center of focus, anyway. "Thanks."

Adrien nodded.

"You have any more recommendations?"

Adrien smiled at her. "None so far. I like the red and black combination, though. What collection is it for?"

"Fall-Winter," she said, blushing slightly at how sure he asked about her collection. Like it'd show up in freaking Fashion Week.

"You're very talented," he noted, looking at some of the other doodles she had on the side. "No wonder my dad told me about your app."

Marinette made a face of confusion, to which he gladly explained. "My dad is super strict with his interns. More than with me, and that's already saying something. Once he made this guy cry. Oh no, but don't be afraid! You'll do great! Once in a blue moon he takes in a protégé or something like that. And he really was impressed by your application, I'm not bluffing."

"Really?"

"Yep. He makes them go through really hardcore stuff first though. Ever seen The Devil Wears Prada?"

She gulped. "Yeah…"

"Kinda like that. But once you win his trust he's really supportive."

"So basically if I screw up with him my career is done for."

"It won't be done for." Adrien laughed. "Trust me. You'll have fun. I've had to supervise the last two summer internships."

"Really?" She gasped and tried not to think about how that would pose a problem to her on more than one level. Yep, goodbye future designer Marinette.

He nodded.  "He gives them this ridiculously complex theme and you guys design a ten-item collection. The best ones get to be in a fashion show he holds at the end of August."

"Wait, you don't mean the Été chez Gabriel show, right?"

"That's exactly Été chez Gabriel."

"I knew those weren't his designs but I didn't know they were his interns'!"

"He keeps the designs afterwards because that's part of the deal, but he lets them be the hosts of the show to give them exposure."

"Woah…" Marinette's eyes glinted with excitement. She was excited about the internship but now she was _really_ excited.

"How's that for a head start?" He winked.

"You must know so much about fashion design already," she said. She looked at him as if he just told her he was god.

"Only against my will," he joked.

She frowned.

"I mean, hate is a strong word, but I don't exactly enjoy modelling anymore. I can't even remember the las time I had fun doing it. You know how I told you guys that I wanted to go to an internship myself this summer? In ParisTech?"

She nodded.

"I mentioned it once. Once. He thought I was joking."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

He shrugged. "When I brought it up again it was because somehow the fact that he wouldn’t let me come to the trip with you related to him not letting me study science. It was ugly."

"So how did you convince him?"

"I didn't. When I mentioned ParisTech he went off trail and said something like 'Oh, you're just saying that because you're tired. Here, go to America and stop nagging me.'"

Marinette pouted. It always amazed her --and intimidated her, if she had to be honest-- that someone as successful as Gabriel Agreste could be such a terrible father.

"Oh, Adrien…"

"Heh."

After a short pause in the conversation, Marinette had an idea. "And what do you want to study?"

Adrien's eyes lit up at her interest. "Physics. I don't know if Astro or Particle, but I know it's Physics."

She smiled. "Why Physics though?"

"I don't know, atoms and protons and electrons and that type of thing are just so… exciting!"

"Was that a pu--."

"No pun intended." He rolled his eyes, grinning. "But I don't know, I just… I really love them. They help us explain the world around us and not a lot of people have the opportunity to develop the skills you need to study them, but I have. And ugh, they're just fasCinating, Mari. Like, did you know every element that forms the earth and everything in it is traceable to the stars in the sky? We're literally made of dead stars, how weird is that? And, like, anti-matter! It's the most bizarre concept, like, you can't see it but it's there, and then there's Schrödinger’s Cat theory, and String Theory, and-- ugh, I just want to know! I'm too curious for my own good."

"Curiosity killed the cat," she teased.

"But satisfaction brought it back." He stuck his tongue out.

Marinette had to bite her lip. She was completely smitten with Adrien in all his presentations, but she just decided passionately-ranting-about-physics Adrien had to be her all-time favorite.

"I believe you're a closeted nerd, Adrien Agreste."

"I very much am."

"It's nice though," she said. "I'm glad you have something you feel so passionate about."

They kept talking and talking and talking. From their hopes and dreams, to their favorite food, the place they want to see the most in the world, to the utterly silly like the fact bathtubs were reverse boats. Obviously, they reserved certain dangerous topics like parents, crushes, and secret identities. But they talked and played rock, paper, scissors; thumb wars; tick-tack-toe; Marry, Fuck, Kill, until their voice was raspy. At one point in the flight she realized she hadn't needed Alya's rescuing powers. When Adrien and Marinette peeked behind them to see how their friends were doing, they smirked at the pair who was fast asleep with rather unflattering expressions, despite the horrible turbulence.

"Wait, I need evidence," Marinette said, pulling out her phone and taking a whole bunch of pictures. They reincorporated into their seats and she grinned at him. "Bribing material."

"I like the way you think," he said offering her his hand for a friendly fist bump.

It was habit, really, but she still had to fake a cough when she almost exclaimed, "Pound it!" Thankfully, the turbulence was so strong, Adrien did not pay attention.

"It's fine," Adrien said, watching how Marinette tensed with terror.

"We're gonna fall to our deaths," Marinette said solemnly. "I survived all those years of clumsiness to die in a plane."

Adrien laughed. "It won't fall, Mari. Promise."

"I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep." She shivered, knowing it was time to pull out her hand-knitted blanket.

Adrien couldn't stop himself from touching the fluffy pink fabric, it was so soft. "With such a comfy blanket I don't think it'll be a problem."

For good measure he skipped to the calmer part of their playlist, the ballads. He hoped they'd help her relax. Feeling the dropping temperature, too, he zipped up his jacket and crossed his arms tightly across his chest.

"You didn't bring something warmer?"

"I kinda ran out of space, heh." _Because of all that stupid Camembert._

"Oh." She blushed. "Well, uh, er… we can, you-- blanket. Warm. Share."

He chuckled and let Marinette drape the blanket over him, too. Unfortunately --or not-- it wasn't large, so they actually had to scoop closer together to keep warm.

"Here," he said, and lifted the armrest that kept them apart. His heart raced and hoped Marinette did not notice, but between the cold and his actual nerves, it was hard to keep from shaking. "You can… uh… here." Clumsier than he ever has been, he put an arm around Marinette and pulled her closer. All in quest for a more comfortable position, of course, nothing more.

The girl blushed like a tomato and tensed under his touch, only to relax little by little, as she registered he did too. Every time the plane dropped a few feet, she yelped, but having Adrien hold her tightly as it happened immensely calmed her nerves.

"Thanks," she muttered.

"You're welcome."

Eventually, Marinette dozed off, and left Adrien an opportunity to admire her. She was beautiful. How did he not see her sooner? How did he miss her for the last four years?

 _Ladybug,_ he answered himself, sadly. _Ladybug, who doesn't love you._

Marinette stirred with the new wave of turbulence and he tentatively brushed her face. He didn't know if she was asleep, but she seemed to be. "It's okay," he muttered.

"Ch…norr" she mumbled.

His stomach dropped.

"Chat… Noir."

He felt a weight press against his chest. "It's just Adrien, princess," he whispered, feeling just as broken-hearted as the night before, in his exchange with Ladybug. "Just Adrien. Sorry."

"…drien."

 

\---

 

At one point in the night, Marinette woke up in a jolt. Again, induced by a Chat Noir-is-Adrien nightmare. She looked to her side and realized to her relief that Adrien had not moved an inch. If anything, he snuggled closer. Her heart skipped a beat, both in delight and guilt. She cursed at herself. Why was her mind betraying her like this? She wanted Adrien to notice her more than anything, for so long. And now that it was finally happening… she wanted Chat Noir.

But why?

Why was Adrien finally noticing her? Why was she finally noticing Chat? She did not know, but she could not help making comparisons between both boys. Adrien, as kindhearted and smart as he was had only become friends --real friends-- with her recently. But Chat, Chat had always been there through thick and thin. Flamboyant and a bit annoying, yes, but at the end of the day, kind, smart, brave, and _supportive_. Chat Noir had always been the first and last to trust her. He was the reason why she dared become Ladybug.

She sighed, remembering his words. _How much longer are we going to pretend, Ladybug?_

Pretend what, that's what she wanted to say that time. But she was afraid this lack of clarity would come off as offensive for Chat. He had always been clear about his affection for her, but she wasn't sure he had been able to read her as she wanted. Pretend what, she wanted to ask. Pretend that he didn't notice she stopped immediately flinching away when he reached for her? Or that she smiled instead of shutting him down when he flirted? Pretend he didn't notice she began to flirt back, or that she started pecking his cheek goodbye after an akuma attack?

 _What, Chat? What are_ you _pretending? Haven't I been clear enough?_

She looked at Adrien and her heart shrunk.

_And then there's you. Why now, that we only have a year left? Why do you have to confuse me like this?_

Marinette felt like crying, and jokingly reminded herself not to get too sad or she'd be akumatized. Except Hawkmoth stayed back in Paris, and the realization that she could suddenly feel with abandon lifted a weight off her chest.

She reached for her purse, careful not to disturb Adrien and biting her lip as a stupid idea formed in her head.

"Tikki, pst. Are you awake?" she whispered.

"Marinette?" Tikki replied drowsily, emerging from the darkness of the pouch with extreme moderation. "What's the problem?"

"Nothing, it's just… I was wondering. Could we… could we transform in the bathroom for a moment?"

"Why do you want to transform in an airplane?" Tikki suddenly sounded more awake. Adrien stirred and mumbled something incoherent, pulling Marinette's blanket to cover his head and turning his back to her.

"Shh! I… I wanted to send Chat Noir a message."

"Why?"

Marinette bit her lip again.

"Marinette?"

"Ugh, fine! I miss him. I just wanted to text him…"

Tikki frowned. "Oh, Marinette. He probably won't even get your message. I don't think he’ll transform, he's on vacation, too. And it's only been one day."

"I know! But… ugh. What's going on with me, Tikki? I wanted Adrien to notice me since I was in college, and now…"

Tikki giggled. "I think you just have to follow your heart."

"That's a tough thing to ask right now." She paused, then muttered, "I want to know who Chat is. I know you've told me no one must know but…"

"It's only natural."

Marinette almost yelled, surprised by Tikki's response. "What do you mean _it's only natural?_ You told me no one could know, not even my partner!"

"Yes, Marinette, but that was four years ago. Your partner and the other miraculous holders have to know. It's for security."

"Four ye-- and you were planning on telling me this when?"

"You never asked me again. I thought you knew."

Marinette glared at her. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did you need detailed explanation of the nightmares I have every night about Chat? About him being Adrien and dying? Or me revealing my identity and him laughing at me? Why didn't you tell me, Tikki? It would have saved me so much trouble by now!"

"I'm sorry Marinette, but I couldn't."

"But why?" she pleaded. "Tikki, I'm so confused."

"Because it has to come naturally," Tikki explained. "You have to decide, not me or Plagg."

At the name, Adrien stirred again. Tikki and Marinette froze for a second and forced themselves to practically mouth their conversation.

"What's that supposed to--." She gasped. "You know. You know who Chat Noir is, don't you?"

"I know Plagg," she said. "And I can sense when he is nearby. But I don't know who Chat Noir is."

She looked to her side with terror. "Is he nearby?"

Tikki sighed. "Marinette, you have to figure this out by yourselves." She felt compassion towards her bearer. Marinette's eyes were beginning to cloud with tears. "Don't feel sad," she said, and flew to nuzzle her cheek. "You two are meant for each other."

"How do you know?"

"Because you always are." She giggled and went back to her spot in the purse. "You just need to follow your heart."

"Who are you talking to?" Adrien asked with a raspy voice, poking his head out of Marinette's blanket.

She managed to snap the purse shut and hide it before Adrien could see. The sight of him was endearing, to say the least. He looked disoriented and his hair was untamed, poking out in every direction, much like…

_Stop it._

She smiled. "I wasn’t talking, just looking out the window."

"Oh."

"Someone's been hoarding the blanket," Marinette pointed out, sweetly.

"Sorry! I didn't mean-- it's so comfy. Are you cold? Sorry."

She giggled. "It's okay."

Adrien draped the blanked over both of them again and made space so that Marinette could lean against his chest, and even though there was no more turbulence, he hugged her again. A sigh escaped her lips, reassuring him.

"You wanna know something?" Adrien muttered.

"What?"

"You talk in your sleep."

Marinette blushed. Oh no. Hopefully she didn't say anything about Ladybug.

"Do I now? And what kinds of terrible secrets did I spill out?"

"Nothing," he admitted. "You just said Chat Noir… and then my name."

She choked. "Really?"

"Yeah." He smirked. "And you say a supermodel can't compete with Chat Noir."

"Oh, shut up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See ya in the next chapter, folks! Hope you enjoyed it <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't think you're ready for this wish-fulfillment trash landslide.  
> Also, would you believe if I told you I've never been to Florida?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I proudly present you chapter 4, in which I fuck up very badly.  
> A couple of notes:  
> 1\. I actually looked up the menu of the restaurant they had dinner in.  
> 2\. The first Stromae song is Tous le mêmes.  
> 3\. The playlist to this chapter is Alors on Dans, which you can find in Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify_france/playlist/34yDEWwKE8oX1MbccPpuHq) 
> 
> Also, again. Thank you guys SO much for your kind words and support, reading your comments and asks on Tumblr make my days so much brighter. You're all so amazing and I love you! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

"Marinette, Mari…"

Marinette moaned and pulled the blanket over her head.

Someone, she didn’t recognize who yet, but someone had the decency to try and wake her up. He kept whispering her name and gently poking her. Who this was, she wasn’t sure, all she knew was that she wanted them to stop talking.

"Mar--."

"Shhhhhh."

He chuckled. So she's definitely not a morning person.

He tried again. "Mari, we're almost there."

Marinette poked her head out, ready to death-glare at whoever had the nerve to wake her. Except when she met with his emerald eyes and kind smile, she forgot. For an instant she even forgot her name, or where she was.

Adrien grinned at her. "Look out the window."

"Oh my god!" She gasped and pressed her face against the glass. It was so green, a different green than anything she had seen in France. Livelier, messier, unruly. The landscape was dotted with wetlands and mangroves that combined dark and bright colors, and then, among the vines, and shrubs, and tropical trees, there rose the American city of Orlando. Marinette wondered what the view would be like if she swung around town as Ladybug. 

"Look Adrien!" She pointed at the horizon, where Disney's castle and Epcot's trademark Spaceship Earth orb were recognizable. "The window is so warm," she noticed when the plane finally landed and the pilot gave them the official welcome.

"Welcome to Orlando, Florida! Today is Tuesday, July the fifth. It's eleven thirty a.m. and the temperature is 86 Farenheit. Perfect for a dive in the pool. We hope you had a pleasant flight, enjoy your stay."

"Thirty degrees," Adrien declared, after mentally making the conversion to Celsius.

"That's hot," Nino said.

Adrien, in a flair of sudden cockiness, grinned and winked. "I know."

Nino rolled his eyes and laughed. "Your model is showing, you piece of trash."

As they waited for their luggage, Adrien and Marinette gravitated towards their respective confidants and casually allowed enough space for their conversations not to be heard by the other pair.

Alya did not say anything, though. She just had this very smug smirk plastered on her face. "Soooo… Marinette and Adrien's Playlist, huh."

"Shut up."

"It was _so_ nice of him to hold you during the turbulence!"

"Weren't you two asleep?" she exclaimed.

Alya winked. "You two definitely were, though."

"Oh my actual god."

"Oh, that's my suitcase!"

Marinette made use of her small size and squeezed in between the crowd to the front of the luggage carousel and yanked Alya's things from under a moving pile. Moments later, hers emerged, too: A medium size red suitcase, which she ironically decorated with ladybug dots.

"Dayum," Alya commented. "You grabbed them like they were a bag of cotton."

Marinette blushed, not knowing what to say. True, most of her strength came from the Ladybug suit. But jumping around Paris was as good as any other workout, especially if you practiced on a daily basis for four years.

They walked to the taxi area, where the boys were already waiting and desperately trying to discard every single piece of  clothing off from them without sacrificing their public decency.

"Humid. Too fuckin humid." Nino panted.

Adrien practically ripped off his jacket and the hoodie he had underneath, messing up his already bedraggled hair. Something about his mannerisms reminded Marinette of a cat that's been forced onto a bath.

"Anyway, you should check your snapchat soon," said Alya before taking a picture of them.

"Wha…"

"When is the shuttle coming?" Adrien complained.

"Oh shush, pair of babies, it's not _that_ warm."

"You're right," Nino said. "Warm is like Paris summer. That’s warm. This is straight-out hell."

"Think of it as practice," Alya joked.

"Ha. Ha."

They stormed into the shuttle when it finally arrived, only to find it was colder than a freezer.

"I can see how this could be a problem," Nino said, putting on his jacket again.

The road to the hotel involved a thorough session of Alya's infamous paparazzi photo-shooting for her Snapchat account. Adrien was especially careful when she set out to hunt, as he usually was her prey of choice. She would take these very unflattering shots of him and give them ridiculous footnotes.

Say for example in that very moment, when he was actually in a state of awe, watching out the window and his phone buzzed with a notification from the app. Alya caught him doing this less-than-graceful gawking expression and zoomed in so his face would take the whole screen. He was both glad and unsettled that Alya had this ability of taking outrageously horrid pictures of him. He saved the particularly ugly ones --like this one. They gave him a strange sense of satisfaction. But Alya would be the last to know that.

"majestic," she wrote on that one. 

Judging from Nino's sudden cackle, he'd say she sent it to everyone.

He glared at her. "That's not nice, Alya."

"Your face's not nice." She grinned, able to make him laugh.

"Guys!" Marinette squealed, when they finally arrived at the gate of Walt Disney World. "Oh! I can't believe we're actually here!"

Nino and her squealed the whole way to the hotel, as they walked into the lobby, as they toured around the main areas…

"Nino, look!" Marinette dragged him to see the pool area, which was themed with Finding Nemo and Cars.

"You're sure as hell I'm dipping in! Ah, this is amazing, Mari!"

"I know! This was the best idea ever!"

He nudged her. "And you two pair of sourpusses didn't want to come."

"Ehehe, thanks for convincing us?"

Alya and Adrien met at the pool area with them soon, wearing mortified expressions.

"Uh, dudes, we got a problem," said Alya.

"What happened?," asked Marinette.

"Well." She eyed Adrien. "My English is not the best, but I think they didn't book our rooms right."

"What," Nino and Marinette exclaimed in unison.

"So we don't have a room? We're stranded?" Nino asked.

"No, they did book us, just not the way we asked," Adrien said. "We just wanted to check with you guys before we registered."

"So… I don't get what's the problem," Nino said.

"It's a family suite. It has two separate bedrooms but technically it's still the same room," Adrien glanced tentatively at Marinette, expecting exactly the reaction she displayed: red as a tomato and looking like she'd faint at any moment. He knew she was uncomfortable sharing so much space with him. But little did he know, for once he wasn't on the top list of her problems.

Tikki.

What was she going to do with poor Tikki? Hiding her from Alya was going to be hard enough already. If there was a chance she'd be able to float about a bit just to stretch and such, it was completely gone.

_Look on the bright side Marinette, it could be worse. Couldn't it?_

_Nah. This pretty much is as bad as it gets. Tikki's going to murder me._

"Here, no, I'm sure they can fix it," said Adrien. "Just gimme a sec."

Adrien went back to the desk and to everyone's surprise, he had this weird sober look on him. Polite, yes, but also strangely serious. Well, he was his father's son, after all.

Marinette forced herself to stop thinking of everything that could go wrong if they didn't change the room and went to see if she could help Adrien negotiate. Tikki depended on this. Besides, over the years she had learned the subtle art of noticing when Adrien was in a bad mood, and this was one of those moments.

"Alright, so then just tell me what you can do for us," Adrien said, in a spotless English, pinching the bridge of his nose much in the same way Gabriel Agreste did, actually. Marinette once had the misfortune of watching Mr. Agreste scold one of his employees and Adrien had that same exact look of annoyance on him. She knew he was above it, but for an instant she wondered what it would take to make Adrien tick like that.

"There has to be a way for us to get back the differential deposit. You booked us with a cheaper room but get to keep the deposit we made?"

"I'm sorry," said the hostess. "Unfortunately, we have a no-refund policy on high-demand seasons."

"Yes, but this was not our mistake, miss."

Marinette swept in. "Hello," she said with the sweetest smile she could. "My friend just told me about this little issue and I was wondering if there's any way we could talk with a supervisor, please? This is our first time here in Disney, and we'd really hate to have our trip ruined by a silly system mistake."

The hostess seemed to be a little annoyed with the pair, but she could not really say now to Marinette's sugary tone.

She gave her the fakest smile in history and said, "Of course, just wait a moment."

Adrien smirked at her. "Nice."

She winked. "Kill them with kindness."

Moments later, the hostess came back with the manager in turn, a blonde woman with big blue eyes and even a bigger smile.

" _Bonjour_ guys! What can I do for you today?"

Adrien and Marinette looked at each other trying not to wince at that very, very American "bonjour".

"Uh… Well, I was telling your, um… coworker here that we were hoping you could help us to settle this down. Because…" she looked at Adrien, making faces so he'd fill in the blanks.

"You booked us in a family suite but we reserved two separate rooms. We're okay with taking the suite since you're already completely full, but we'd like our deposit back."

The manager gave her employee a slightly irritated expression and made a motion for her to move away from the screen. "Sure can do, peeps! Just a second."

"This is the first time you visit us?" she asked as she typed. Adrien took the opportunity to take a bit of water and let Marinette do the talking.

"Yeah," Marinette said. "It's our first time in North America, actually."

The woman grinned at her, wrinkling her nose. "That's great! You're gonna have so much fun. You guys are getting married here, right?"

Adrien choked. Marinette found a way to trip over herself. And somehow, they both forgot how to make human sounds.

"No! uh… we're no-- not yet-- what? heh."

"It's just… kind of--what-- no!"

The manager smiled at them. "Oh, it's just we have a wedding reservation coming in today, we've been waiting for them. Anyways, you make a cute couple." She finished typing and winked at them. "And we're done! Here are your key cards and coupons for a complimentary dinner to make up for this whole confusion."

"Th--thank you," Marinette said, trembling. For good measure, it was Adrien who picked the things.

"You two look redder than Ladybug's suit." Alya smirked. "What happened back there?"

"Do we look like we're getting married?" Adrien asked as they boarded the elevator.

Nino and Alya laughed the whole way to the room.

"Eh, dunno man, kinda-- whoa," said Nino. "Whoa, It's Nemo!"

The entire place was decorated like the ocean. Bright colors, coralline forms, and subtle yet obvious decorations of the main characters. The kids let out a collective gasp. If anything, at least the suit was nice and big enough to fit everyone, that was for certain. Luckily, it wasn’t as tiny and crumpled as Marinette made thought it would be. Like Adrien promised, the suit had two separate rooms, a small living room and kitchenette. And then, the problem. One bathroom.

Alya leaned to Marinette and whispered, "Hey, at least we're not on our period."

Marinette made a face of horror. "True that."

"So, ladies," Nino said, rather chivalrously. "Have your pick."

They stayed with the adult bedroom, the one where the bathroom was, and because the bed in the children's room was too small Adrien and Nino flipped a coin to see who'd sleep in the room and who'd get the futon in the living room.

And because Adrien always had such good luck, he obviously got the futon.

"Don't worry man, we can take turns," Nino said.

By the time they were fully installed the jetlag started to kick in. Nino was still unpacking and the girls were practically dead on the bed.

Adrien didn't know how they could sleep without showering first. They had been traveling for over a day now.

"You think they'll mind if I use the bathroom?"

Nino shrugged. "Well it's the only bathroom, they'll have to deal."

Adrien grabbed a fresh set of clothes, his toiletries bag, and a Camembert pack that Nino did not see.

Once in the shower, he sighed and closed his eyes as the water started running down his body, finally feeling the exhaustion of the flight.

"I don't want to hide for two entire weeks," Plagg complained.

"You mind?" he said, still trying to relax.

"Two weeks. It's crazy! I rather stay here the entire time."

"What if someone sees you?"

"They won't."

Adrien threw him a glance. "Of course. Because of all things, you know how to stay put. What if there's an akuma attack?"

"All the way here?" Plagg said incredulously. "Akumas can fly only so long, you know? Nooroo would run out of energy before crossing the sea."

"Nooroo?"

"Hawkmoth's kwami?"

Adrien frowned at him. "This is what I mean when I tell you I hate when you keep secrets."

"You never--."

"Yeah, yeah, I know I never asked." He sighed.  "Well at least it's nice to know things are going to be quiet." He looked at the right and gently rubbed it with his thumb. "Do you think Ladybug made it alright to her vacation?"

Plagg rolled his eyes. "I thought you liked that Marinette girl now."

He frowned. "Yeah, but… It's complicated."

Adrien finished his bath ritual applying his usual lotions and treatments to his skin and hair. When he came out of the bathroom, he realized everyone was asleep, including Nino. He himself felt like taking a nap, but his phone rung with his lunch alarm. He could ignore it, of course, but that would mean that he'd get very hungry for dinner and he'd eat more than he's supposed to. And yes, hypothetically he could get away with a few missed meals, but he really didn't want to go through the meal plan lecture with his dad if he gained weight.

"Come on, Plagg," he whispered at his kwami, who was still in the bathroom stuffing his face with the smelly Camembert. "Let's find something I can eat."

As he passed by the girls' bed, he noticed Marinette's purse was sliding off the bed and caught it midair.

He did not see Plagg wince.

"Close call, huh?" he told to Plagg.

"Just leave it there, let's go find your leaves."

In the middle of his lunch, Adrien finally felt the entire weight of his exhaustion hit him. He had to support his head with his hand to keep awake. When he came back, he passed out on the futon out of exhaustion. He had forgotten how tiring jetlag could be.  

After what felt like five minutes to him, Marinette was already up and about, gently shaking him so he'd regain consciousness.

"He looks cute," Alya commented.

Marinette blushed. "Yeah, a bit."

"Adrien?" she tried again, gently rubbing his back.

Alya rolled her eyes and went to wake up Nino. "YO, THE ROOM'S ON FIRE!"

Marinette heard Nino's yelp from the living room. She chuckled.

"What even, woman?" he exclaimed. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!"

Adrien stirred at the tumult and fluttered his eyes open. "Mari?"

She smiled. "Hey, we're gonna go get dinner with the coupon they gave us. Turns out we can use it in any restaurant in the resort and Nino and Alya wanted to go to the Disney Springs waterfront."

"Oh…" He sat up and scratched his head, confused by the lingering orange light in the window. "What time is it?"

"Around six p.m."

He nodded. "Okay, just let me get ready."

Honestly, Marinette thought he was ready enough but Adrien insisted on ironing his shirt and combing his hair.

"It's just the model in him," Nino said, smugly. “Right bud?”

Adrien simply chuckled at them.

As they went down to the lobby to wait for their cab, Adrien noticed Marinette's outfit and what good taste she had. She was wearing a white crop-top, a sky blue circular skirt that reached just below her knee with a thin red belt that matched the ribbon on her bun, and a pair of red velvet flats. She looked… he wanted to say amazing, beautiful, stunning, feminine, sweet, delicate. He settled on lovely.  Yes, Marinette looked lovely. Even more once they got to the waterfront, where the soft golden light of the waterfront boardwalk bathed her in a delicate glow. Her eyes were electric under this light.

 Both girls, actually, looked prettier than usual. Alya herself wore a flower-patterned romper with sandals and a braid, no doubt confectioned by Marinette, because Adrien recalled seeing her wear it before.

"What's wrong, Adrien?" Alya asked, knowing the reason for his flushed face.

"N-nothing. You girls just look pretty today," he said, scratching the back of his head. "Prettier than usual I mean, I don't mean you're usually not pretty but, you know…"

The boys didn't look so bad themselves, but they weren't going to tell them that-- yet.

They smiled.

"And you ain't seen nothing yet," Alya muttered to Marinette. Both girls giggled.

Little did Nino and Adrien know, there had been a reason why Marinette and Alya had been meeting up to shop so much before the trip. They geared up on their wardrobe, that's why. Alya and Marinette made a point of teasing the boys --Alya more than Marinette, to be honest, but she still was game. Alya's reasoning was that if Marinette used her amazing fashion powers with her, she'd be able to seduce Nino. And so far, her reasoning proved correct. He trailed behind her like a puppy.

Marinette smiled to herself, pleased that she got to do a bit of matchmaking even if they were already dating. In contrast to her failed attempts to get Adrien to notice her, Alya and Nino never really needed any help to get together, and though Marinette was happy about that, she was glad she could help them bring them closer, if anything.

Before getting dinner, they walked around the shops to see if they could find anything worth buying. Marinette had a list of all the souvenirs she wanted to get. It included her parents, of course, but she also wanted to get something for Manon, and Volpina, since in one of her personal detail spills she revealed her birthday was at the end of July. And okay, yes, if she was honest with herself, at the top of the list there was Chat Noir, mostly.

One of the shops caught her interest. They had these cute little keychains with all kinds of Disney characters. Browsing, she found a few with the characters of The AristoCats. She giggled to herself and picked the one that had Berlioz, the little black cat. It was all kinds of right, not only the name of the movie was a pun itself, but it was also in Paris.

She snickered as she waited on the queue to pay. _This is definitely your movie, Chat Noir._

"Having fun?" Adrien asked innocently as he sneak behind her, nonetheless prying a gasp from her. "Sorry, I think I gotta stop doing that, heh."

"N-no, you're okay!"

"You found something?" he asked, hoping to move the conversation elsewhere.

"Yeah." She handed it to him. A tiny smile spread on his lips.

"And you say you're not a cat person."

"It's not for me," she said immediately. "It's for a friend. It's kind of an inside joke."

He nodded, secretly jealous that Marinette would share inside jokes with other people but not him.

"You?"

Adrien showed her another keychain, a ladybug one from A Bug's Life. Marinette laughed. "You really have an obsession with ladybugs."

"What, it's for a friend." He laughed, too. "We better join Alya and Nino before she bites his face off."

They decided to dine in House of Blues. It wasn't too crowded and they had nice live music going on. Some people even were dancing.

"Ugh, finally! I'm starving," Alya said as their waitress handed them menus. She came back to take their drink order.

"Everything looks so good," Nino said. "What are you guys ordering? I'm gonna have that-- oh my god it sounds so dirty-- Juicy Lucy burger. How do they even come up with these names?"

Adrien snorted.

"Do you really have to make everything sexual, Nino?" Alya said, laughing.

To be honest, Adrien thought the exact same thing Nino did. Chat wouldn't have doubted to point it out, but Adrien was supposed to be quiet and _decent._

"I'm having that lobster Mac and Cheese thing, it sounds good," Alya said.

Marinette noticed Adrien was a bit distraught, looking at the menu. He did not comment on anything, simply browsed quietly, as if he were making some really complicated math in his head.

"Here we go." The waitress came back with their drinks. "Are you guys ready to order?"

Yep. Nino would have the burger, Alya'd have lobster, Marinette wanted linguini with shrimp, and Adrien--.

"Just a market salad, please."

"What?" Nino chimed. "Come on man, you must be starving. I know I am."

"I had lunch while you guys were asleep," Adrien said with a sheepish smile. "I swear, I'm not that hungry."

He was.

Nino sighed, and if Marinette knew any better, she'd say this was a common exchange among the two. It dawned on her, yet another aspect she never really considered about Adrien's life. She assumed that, as a model, he would naturally have a strict dietary regime, but she never actually saw Adrien enforcing it. He used to complain about it when the four went to the movies or to a café, he never bought popcorn or sugary beverages. Just plain coffee or water.

"No one is going to notice, bro, come on. It's your vacation. Plus you ate at what, three p.m.?"

Adrien bit his lip.

"It's better to ask forgiveness than permission, if you ask me," Nino said.

"Nino's right, Sunshine," Alya said. "Plus think of it this way, if you get fat your dad won't have any other choice than to fire you. And you'll get to be a physics nerd in all your splendor."

He chuckled. "I guess…"

He ordered the greasiest, yummiest burger on the menu. Bacon, BBQ, onion rings, and a side of curly fries.

Marinette would never forget the face he made when the food actually arrived. It was about the cutest and saddest things she ever watched. For one, the enthusiastic glint on his eyes was endearing, but on the other side this enthusiasm also meant his life must have been exceptionally deprived of life's simple pleasures.

"No offense but you sound like you're having sex with that burger," Nino said.

"Nino!" the girls scolded him.

"What, it's true!"

Adrien smiled sheepishly at them and spoke with his mouth full, satisfied by the fact no one was there to comment on his table manners. "Ifs juss sho good!"

Nino smirked at the girls, but knew better than to push it. Both had this type of murderous glare on their face.

"Yours looks really good, too, Mari," Adrien said.

"Uh huh." She nodded vigorously, with her cheeks slightly inflated as she took another bite. "You wanna try some?"

"Sure!"

Without really thinking, Marinette twirled a portion with her fork and neared it to Adrien's mouth. Adrien, without thinking, let Marinette feed it to him.

"Oh my god!"

She giggled. "You have…" She pointed at the corner of her mouth.

"What? Here?" He only managed to smear the sauce.

"Wait," she said, in between her giggles. "Here." She took his napkin and wiped the smear herself. It was such a genuine gesture that Marinette did not find herself becoming a wreck of nerves for once. Actually, she managed to forget everything but the boy in front of her, and you could tell he did the same by the way he looked at her. Marinette couldn't shake off the feeling that she had seen those same enamored eyes once before, although she could not really tell when or whose they were. Maybe in a dream. It must have been in a dream.

"And you seriously wonder why people think you're getting married?" Alya teased, causing them to blush furiously and break contact as if they suddenly were a white-hot flame.

And like that, the moment was gone. Back to square one.

After their meal Adrien insisted they'd get dessert despite how full they were. They shared a chocolate cheesecake, although he ate most of it. They asked for the three extra forks only for his peace of mind.

Nino laughed. "You'd think your dad starves you to death."

Adrien glared. "You have no idea." He licked his lips and explained, "He literally hired Natalie to watch me twenty-four seven, meals included. It's freaking insane."

"You told me, yeah."

But he didn't tell Marinette, which is why the girls listened with intention.

"Insane," he repeated, looking at them. "Like, watching my meals is in her job description. I'm not actually joking here. You know what's that like?"

Alya felt tempted to record his rant. Here it was, she couldn't believe it was happening in front of her very eyes.

You see, Alya had this theory, that Adrien's life was not nearly as glamourous as Marinette thought it was and she constantly tried to convince her of this. She knew that if Marinette saw what he really was like, she'd be able to overcome her infatuation and talk to him as she talked to any other human being. But Marinette, stubborn as she was, refused to believe it.

"Mark my words," Alya said once. "One day that sunshine boy is gonna explode in this huge fucking rant about how much it sucks to be him, and _you_ will have to deal. Just wait for it. One day, someday, it's going to happen."

And happen it did.

"Twenty. Four. Seven. Marinette. All the friggin time! It's so… frustrating to have people tell you what to do, what to think, how to behave, _all the time_. It's suffocating. And then there's all that attention, and the girls following you around -- the boys, too. I can't go anywhere without being spotted."

Alya smirked knowingly at Marinette.

_See? What did I tell ya._

"I honestly would've gone crazy if I were you," Alya said. "I don't know how you cope with it."

"He sneaks out of the house," Nino said as matter-of-factly, with a deadpan expression. Adrien jabbed at his ribs. "At night," he added.

"Isn't that a little dangerous, though?" Marinette asked, making a mental note of being extra aware on her night patrols from then on. She didn't want Adrien to get mugged, or something worse.

"With Ladybug and Chat Noir patrolling every night?" He said with a cocky grin. "Nah. Plus it's been like, four years since I started doing it and so far nothing bad has happened. 'Sides, I know karate and sword-fighting. I'm covered."

Marinette rolled her eyes amused at how much like Chat Noir that was. She couldn't believe Adrien was talking. 

"You don't believe me, Marinette?" he said raising an eyebrow, equally entertained.

"I never said that, but I doubt karate and sword-fighting will get you far if you ever come across an akuma."

Oh, this was too good.

"Wanna bet?" He grinned.

"And risk meeting the wrath of Ladybug and Chat Noir? No thanks. Besides, even if you could fight an akuma off, only Ladybug could get rid of it. Every self-respecting Ladybug fan knows that."

"Well, but I'm sure she'd appreciate my help." He winked.

Marinette couldn't help herself from laughing. "I'm sure. And then Chat would cataclysm you, or something, for flirting with his lady."

Adrien laughed. Yep, too good in all kinds of levels.

_Oh, if you only knew, Marinette._

_You don't even know, Adrien._

As the night advanced, the restaurant's music changed to something more upbeat. By the time quartet had finished their third round of unfortunately non-alcoholic drinks, they weren't letting minors in anymore. Nino and Adrien exchanged mischievous smirks.

"I'm not saying it's worth the shot, but they probably think we're overage," Nino commented.

"Yeah, it's totally not worth the shot. But I think you're right," seconded Adrien.

"It's definitely not worth the shot because I'll personally deliver you two to the guard if you try anything," Marinette threatened. "And you'll be grounded for tomorrow."

Marinette had her share of taking care of drunk Alya before. Drunk Alya did not make very smart life choices. And judging by the fact that sober Adrien sneaked out of his house at midnight to find himself trouble --he called it adventure-- and that sober Nino thought it was a good idea to try and trick the bar tender, Marinette did not want to be introduced to their drunken selves. She'd be damned if she spent a night at the police station, waiting on them.

"Fine, mom," Adrien said, jokingly.

And then, a first happened. For the first time in his life, Adrien was a direct subject of Marinette's infamous sass. He was both flattered and intimidated.

"Don’t you fine mom me, I'm serious, Adrien." The intense frown carved on her face reminded him of the many times Ladybug reprimanded him for being too carefree. He knew better than to challenge that frown, and he didn't see a reason to not follow the same path of action in this situation.

They were distracted by the song the DJ started to play. It was in French, and was actually quite famous.

Alya squealed. "Stromae! That’s my shit right there! That's my jam!"

"Say no more," Nino said, offering her his hand.

Alya grinned and let Nino guide her to the dancefloor.  Adrien and Marinette watched as they twirled about, not really caring if they came off as graceful. And for a moment, it was _really_ awkward. Despite the dim lights, Marinette could feel Adrien's painfully close presence. She didn't need to look at him to feel the electricity that emanated from him.

She found herself in a situation where she did not know how to proceed. Even though she was born with two left feet and could trip over flat ground if she tried, Marinette loved to dance. Dancing made her feel like Ladybug without needing to wear the mask. Dancing made her feel agile and capable, and if she had to admit it _, sexy._ True, she usually depended of a couple drinks, too, but she enjoyed dancing just as much when she was sober. But she really wasn’t sure she actually had the guts to ask him to dance.

So what, now? Adrien was just standing there, looking uncomfortable. Plus, the thought of actually dancing with him… gosh, that made her dizzy.

_Come on, Marinette. You can do this. It's just dancing. Just… ask. Okay, here we go. One… two…_

"I have to go to the bathroom, be right back," he said, and pretty much sprinted out of Marinette's way.

She felt a heavy weight press against her chest. Of course he wouldn't want to dance with her. She's not Ladybug.

 

\---

 

Thank god the bathroom was empty.

"Plagg!" he cried, forcing the kwami out of his pocket. "I don't know how to dance! What do I do?"

Plagg yawned. "Don't look at me, I don't know how to dance either."

"Argh! Then what am I supposed to do? You saw her, she _wants_ to dance." Adrien paced around the room frantically. He wished he could simply transform into Chat Noir to gather the courage. Chat Noir did know how to dance, Chat didn't care if he looked stupid in front of his crush. But Adrien did.

"Dunno kid, watch a tutorial?"

"You're not helping."

"What do you want me to say? Honestly, I don't think she'll mind if you don't know. She'll still drool over you."

"Are you-- wait, what? Drool over me?"

Plagg glared at him and sighed exasperatedly. "Seriously."

"What do you mean by that?" _She likes Chat, not me._

"The fact you're asking me that question is proof that you don't deserve to know the answer. Just go back with her already. You'll be fine."

Oh but Adrien was not fine. Not at all. He was not fine because on top of the fact he could not dance, he came back to a rather shocking sight. Marinette was not alone, not by the broadest definition, no. A pair of American boys were talking and laughing and _… flirting with her?_ Marinette smiled nervously, in the exact same way she did when she talked with him.

Adrien was the opposite of fine in that moment.

His blood boiled and wished for his alter ego's claws. But looking at her smile like that, at the curiosity in her eyes, made him second-guess.  He shouldn't intrude if she was having a good time, after all, what harm could a pair of foreigners do?

 _Yeah, but… NO! NO! She can't, she shouldn't._ I _was going to dance with her._

Except he remembered he wasn't Chat at the moment. He cursed at himself.

_Get it together! You are freaking CHAT NOIR with or without the suit. Act like it!_

One of the American boys touched her shoulder.

He hissed. Nope. Nope. Nope. He was not going to have any of that, thank you very much.

"Okay Adrien, let's pull a Chat Noir," he muttered at himself as he walked towards Marinette and her company. "You can do this, Chat. Come on."

He was glad --well, maybe glad wasn't the word, but at least relieved to see that Marinette wasn't exactly comfortable with the pair of flirty dudes. A real piece of luck, since he really needed the assurance to pull this stunt: He cut in the middle of both guys, snaked his arm around her waist, kissed her cheek, and spoke in French, "Sorry for taking so long, my lady."

Marinette became petrified for a second. What did this just happen?  Did Adrien pretend to be her boyfriend to get rid of these two guys? It was a dream, she was sure. It had to be. That, or she died and went to heaven.

The pair of guys smiled sourly at Adrien, who gave them a well-practiced model smile, and after a bit of muttering between themselves, they waved Marinette goodbye and left.

 _Yeah, that's damn right. Fuck off_ , Adrien thought.

"Uh… thanks?" Marinette said, with a sheepish smile. " I was wondering how to get rid of them."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Heh, well. I'm glad I helped."

She smirked. "How'd you know _?" You don't mean to tell me you were jealous, Adrien Agreste_.

He shrugged. "Instinct?"

Marinette nodded, feeling slightly smug.  "Hey, uh…" She couldn't believe she was actually doing this. "You want to dance?"

"I--." _CHAT NOIR. YOU ARE CHAT NOIR._ "Sure."

He took her hand and led her to the dancefloor. They started off a bit awkward, just swaying from side to side as if this was the first time they ever danced with a person of the opposite sex.

Marinette seemed to keep her cool fairly well, Adrien noticed. But if he could hear her thoughts, he'd know she was internally going mad.

_I CAN'T DO THIS. I'M GOING TO FAINT. I CAN'T BREATHE. Shit, I just stepped on him! Oh no, this is bad. This is really, really bad._

But then, she reasoned.

_Marinette, calm down. He literally scared off guys from you._

All she had to do was to get in the right mindset, as she usually did when she danced.

 _Just think of Ladybug. Think what she would do. What_ you _would do. Come on, Adrien has a crush on her, doesn't he? Give him a run for his money._

Ironically, the light show colored the dancefloor in flashes of red and green. It casted a shadow over their faces, almost resembling a mask.

 _Try not to be obvious, though._ She noted. If she managed to mistake Adrien's figure for Chat's with the green light, there's no telling what she looked like under the red one.

Adrien smirked confidently as the next song started.

_ChatNoirChatNoirChatNoirYouareChatNoir. Don't chicken out._

"Shall we?" He purred.

The resemblance was uncanny, so much so that it inflicted a healthy dose of fear in Marinette. But she managed to push that aside for a moment.

She bit her lip, and finally got to call him the nickname that naturally bubbled at the tip of her tongue since the first time they started texting. By now it was safe, it did not stir suspicion. By now, it was an inside joke to his "my lady."

"Of course, kitty."

She had to admire for a second what her life had remitted to in these past few hours: Roleplaying Ladybug and Chat Noir with her crush from ages. The irony was incredibly satisfying.

Now, many things could be said about this first dance they had. Many indeed, but if Marinette had to summarize it, she'd say three things: it was shocking, revealing, and most of all, unexpectedly sexy. Not only he could dance, Adrien made an amazing dance partner. It was almost as if he _knew_ what her next move would be. The twirls, the dips, everything. The same could be said of her.

One of the reasons why Marinette liked dancing with people was because she could get to know them better. She could feel them not just physically, if that made any sense. And what she felt with Chat-- Adrien! Adrien, she meant Adrien. What she felt with Adrien was inexplicably familiar and comfortable. It was the type of vibe she got from Chat Noir after defeating an akuma, after perfectly performing a synchronized attack. She couldn't believe she felt that with Adrien, too.

"What?" Adrien asked, noticing her thoughtful yet excited expression.

"Nothing. I think a model can compete against Chat Noir, after all."

He winked. "You'd be surprised."

Their synchronicity got to the point that other people started noticing, and stopped to watch them dance. It got the point where Alya and Nino noticed.

Nino shrieked at the sight. "Look!"

Alya gasped. "Holy shit!"

"I told you, I TOLD YOU," Nino said. "Look at those two, goddamit. Look at them Alya. They should get a room."

She chuckled.

"Do you think they ever notice?" Nino said, incredulously. "Do they do it on purpose? Ugh, just. Look. That dumb pair."

"I know, bae, I know. But honestly, by now I just roll with it."

"Me too. At least Marinette brain doesn’t go into a system error if he touches her anymore."

Alya cocked her head a bit. "You know what's strange? They kinda give the Ladynoir vibe."

"Ladynoir?"

"Ship name for Ladybug and Chat Noir. Don't you read the blog?"

"Apparently not as much as I should." He chuckled. "Sounds like a hooker name."

She smirked. "It does, doesn't it?"

"Which would be perfectly fitting right now, judging by how they're dancing."

"Didn't know they had it in them."

"Right?"

"Well, can't blame 'em." She winked at him and then stole a kiss. "They learned it from the best."

Adrien's heart did not stop racing, not after the dance, not after they went back to the hotel. Not even after he went through his long, tedious routine before bed. Nor after he laid on the slightly uncomfortable futon, looking up to the roof, unable to wipe this goofy grin off his face. Nemo and Marlin were grinning back at him. They shared his happiness.

He couldn't believe he actually gathered enough guts to dance with Marinette, that he actually shooed those two flirts away, that he behaved rather… indecently, is the word his father would use. But no, it was not indecent. It was… Chat Noir-ish, for the lack of a better word. The thought swelled his chest with excitement, that he could reconcile both parts of himself for once without being judged. And that Marinette had to do with it.

His phone buzzed with a new message. It was Marinette. His smile stretched wider, if that was even possible.

"Not bad for a cat person, kitty," she wrote.

He chuckled and sent a winking cat emoticon. "At your service, my lady."

Alya peekd over. She chuckled with a smug smirk, "Kitty? My lady?"

"Shush, it's an inside joke."

"Right."

"Gotta go, Alya wants to sleep. Nite nite chaton."

He let go of a sigh and pulled the covers over his head, trying not to squeal like some grade school girl in love. There were just so many things going on in his mind. And then, he saw it.

It crept slowly, and once it lodged in his head it was like riding down the hill of a rollercoaster. Timely as usual, there they were, his theories about Ladybug to make sure this perfectly blissful moment would be stained with doubt and confusion. _Chaton._

It could have been a coincidence. It probably was, but his heart raced just imagining the word had actually been typed by Ladybug herself. As he told Volpina, he had a few ideas of who Ladybug could be behind the mask. He knew he attended the same college as him, the same lycée. He deduced that after many years of careful observation, but that quickly led him to some shocking conclusions because it really wasn't that hard to tie up loose strings once you paid attention. If A equaled B and B equaled C, that meant A equaled…

No.

The first time he thought about it he panicked and only went back to that theory of his when events were extremely unusual. It had felt like such an implausible scenario before that he was almost scared to admit it out loud. But really, he couldn't fool himself after that dance. Not even if he tried. Especially not with those innocent messages staring back at him.

The nerve to be using the irony, he applauded that. The best way to hide something is out in the open, after all.

His stomach sunk at the idea, at the implications of his theory being correct.

"Plagg,” he muttered. “Is Marinette Ladybug?" 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did I tell ya. Trash landslide.  
> See ya in the next chapter, minous <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Mickey and Minnie peer pressure Adrien Agreste.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello mes chatons! First of all, sorry for delaying so much with this chapter. I had a serious case of writer's block and ehh, what can I say, progress was slow. Second of all, I want to thank all of you for all the amazing support and encouragement! You guys are the best, I'm really glad you're enjoying the fic so much.  
> So, about this chapter. This is where it's gonna start getting more noticeable that I've been to Disneyland, not WDW ^__^' but trust you me, I'm doing my research like a good little writer.  
> Also, I wanna give a big enormous shout-out to @mikuluver (mikuluver.tumblr.com) for the wonderful fanart she came up with! I absolutely loved it and it made my day. (http://mikuluver.tumblr.com/post/142100390179/so-i-read-chapter-4-of-across-the-pond-by)  
> So yes, as usual, thanks for reading!
> 
> *EDIT* HEY I KNOW I HAVEN'T MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, BUT IF ANY OF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS OR HEADCANONS ABOUT THIS FIC YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO SHARE! I'll try to add them on later chapters ^__^  
> that's all, baisers, mes chatons.

Adrien promised himself that he wouldn't let anything in between him and his free time. He would ditch every single one of his routines, despite what he promised his father. These two weeks he would be free. So yes, he was more than annoyed at himself when he woke up at five a.m. sharp, without the need of an alarm.

Gym time, he thought. He usually woke up at five a.m. during weekdays to hit the gym for exactly one point five hours. After his routine, he'd have fifteen minutes to shower, fifteen to dress up, half an hour to have breakfast: a cup of greek yogurt with half a cup of oatmeal and almonds, and half a serving of fruit, with either a glass of water or half a cup of coffee. Then half an hour to drive to school.

Rinse and repeat.

He groaned at himself, feeling the impulse to get up. Old habits die hard, after all. Even if they were habits he did not intend to make in the first place.  
He was bent on staying in bed though, so he snuggled against his pillow and closed his eyes, making the most of the fact that it was still dark outside.

_Ladybug might be in the other room._

His eyes popped open, and like that, all remnants of somnolence were gone.

He sighed, allegedly a lot less excited than when he went to bed with the prospect still sweet and unprocessed by the logical part of his brain.

Plagg did not answer his question last night. He was asleep- or he pretended to be, Adrien suspected. He wasn't dumb, he knew Plagg kept a lot of information from him mostly for his own sake, but sometimes he wished he wasn't so cryptic.

So, what if Marinette was Ladybug? The idea twisted his stomach in a knot. He could be imagining all of this, out of desperation, out of a need to indulge his fantasies, and he hated it. He hated that he was forcing the idea of Ladybug onto Marinette. So what if she smirked like her, moved like her, winked like her, spoke like her the night before. It didn't mean anything.

He sighed, more conflicted than ever.

"Plagg?" he whispered. "Plagg, please wake up, I need to ask you something."

Plagg emerged from the covers, his eyes shining like a bright neon light. He yawned and glared at Adrien with irritation. "Can't this wait until morning?"

"It's already morning."

"Until there's actual daylight out," he said, with an edge of disgust for the teen's early bird habits.

"No, it can't. I need to ask you about Ladybug's identity."

"What of it?" Plagg yawned again and snuggled back into his cocoon, uninterested in the turn the conversation took.

"I was wondering… I have this theory and since you- well, you always keep things from me and I was just wondering… it's a stupid idea but-."

"Out with it, kid. What is it?"

He inhaled sharply and spitted out the phrase he had such difficulty pronouncing the night before. "Is Marinette Ladybug?"

"Why would I know that?"

Adrien groaned. "Come on Plagg, I know you know who Ladybug is. You just choose to not tell me."

"Yes, and there's a reason for that."

He felt slightly irritated at Plagg. A little wounded, he said, "You know I've been trying to figure out who she is for ages, Plagg! Why wouldn't you tell me?"

"Because, you forget, she doesn't want you to know- or didn't, anyway, that's not the issue."

"Wait, what?"

Plagg muttered something to himself along the lines of, "Shouldn't have said that."

"She wants to know who I am?" He said, half to himself, half to Plagg. But mostly to himself. Ladybug wanted to reveal her identity, after all these years, finally! "But how do you even know that?"

"That's not the issue."

"Plagg!"

"Adrien!"

Adrien sighed and sat up. "I don't understand why you always have to be so difficult! I've always done as you asked, haven't I?"

"And I still don't understand why you're still so obsessed with knowing Ladybug's identity after all this time."

"Because I'M IN LOVE WITH HER, Plagg! I'm not in love with the suit, I'm in love with her. Whoever it is."

The kwami squinted at him and flew right in front of his nose, poking it as he bombarded him with accusations. "You didn't seem to remember that when you were dancing with Marinette. Or in the airplane. Or every night when you text her at ungodly hours. That's not Ladybug, Adrien. Ladybug only shows up when there's an akuma to cleanse."

"That's not true," Adrien defended. "She's Ladybug, with or without the suit." He sighed. "You said she wants me to know who she is behind the mask. What difference does it make if you tell me?"

"So you're just playing that poor girl Marinette, then?"

"What- no. Not at all. I love- I mean." He groaned. "This is why I want to know, Plagg! Because just as I was beginning to get over Ladybug with Marinette… she just, ugh! She just keeps reminding me of her! And I hate to think that I'm falling for her because she reminds me of Ladybug. It makes me feel like shit. Marinette doesn't deserve that. And I just can't take it anymore, it's driving me insane."

"So what do you think?"

"What do I think of what?"

Plagg quirked an eyebrow, as if pointing out the obvious. "Hell, I don't know, you fun-size cat! That's why I'm asking you!"

"I'm not supposed to tell you," Plagg hissed. "That's not how it works, you two are supposed to figure it out on your own."

"…So is that a yes?"

"I'd slap you if I could."

"So what am I supposed to do then? Go up to Marinette and go all like 'Hey girl, are you Ladybug? Because I'm totally Chat Noir, you know, that superhero you have a crush on? I KNOW, IT'S PAWFUL, RIGHT?'"

Plagg shrugged. "You did say Marinette is the only person you'd trust with your identity. What difference does it make if she's Ladybug or not?"

"But what if she's not?"

"For the love of- okay kid, you're wearing my patience thin now so listen carefully. A word of advice, listen to your instinct and ask her."

"But-."

"No buts. Just trust yourself, it's usually enough. You two- Ladybug and Chat Noir- are meant to be together. You're Ying and Yang, a compliment of each other. You catch my drift? Sometimes you're so opposite you two hate each other's guts, but most of the time you end up together, as in, for life. There, is that what you wanted to hear? Can I go back to sleep now?"

It was not, but Adrien didn't dare to push Plagg further. He nodded.

With an irritated huff, he hissed, "Thanks. I swear by the ring, most of you are always lovesick. But, boy, do you take the prize home!"

So there was a reason why Plagg hated romance. He must have already heard it all from other cats before him. He felt sympathy, not for Plagg, but the others. You'd think a god would be more understanding sometimes!

After Plagg buried himself in the covers and silence settled again, Adrien decided he could stay in bed no more. His thoughts made him restless and his body ached to find an outlet to the stress. Being that Plagg couldn't be bothered to transform Adrien after that little argument, he opted to get out of bed and go for a run.  
It was nice to feel the cool air before humidity rose again. The oxygen coursing through his body gave him a better grasp on the situation. Seven miles and two hundred crunches, push-ups, and squats later, the idea of revealing his identity to Marinette was not so hard to conceive.

He didn't have to do it today, hell, he didn't even have to do it in this continent. It could wait until they went back to France. But in the meantime, he developed a plan: to gather as much evidence as he could and hint her as much as possible without giving himself away entirely. There was still Alya and Nino to think about, after all. So maybe he'd go easy on the flirting, but gear up on the pun and banter. He was already halfway through, anyway, already ironically roleplaying their alter egos.

"Yeah, I can work with this," he assured himself as he quietly slid back into the suite, looking forward to a bath.

It was seven and dawn would be breaking soon, but none of his friends displayed any sign of life. Nino did not so much as shuffle when he entered the room to grab his things. The girls' room still was pitch black, as they had shut the curtains completely close. They didn't even notice Adrien turned on the bathroom's light. He started wondering whether this was the norm in sleeping patterns among teens. It probably was.

After showering he realized he had forgotten to pick a top and was suddenly thankful for his friends' deep sleep. As Chat Noir, he'd normally boast about his physique, especially in front of Ladybug. As Adrien, well, he was a model. He was used to people looking at him half naked, it was in the job description. But the possibility that Marinette was actually Ladybug made him really nervous. Because, yeah, he flirted and boasted but he never really expected those moves to work. So for good measure, he shut down the bathroom's lights before emerging.

To his bad luck, Marinette was generally a heavy sleeper, but the nights' events had given her so many things to think about that her sleep had been light, and the sounds of him showering disturbed her. Him coming out of the bathroom amidst the darkness was what finally brought her to her senses.

Oblivious as usual, she was not thinking as Marinette when she saw the shadow creeping by the door. She thought as Ladybug. And Ladybug's first reaction of course was to shout and pin him down to the floor.

An akuma! No, they were in Orlando. A BURGLAR.

"HOLY SHIT!" Marinette screamed, jumping at Adrien's still unidentified figure. "Alya, someone got into the room!"

Adrien landed with a thud, feeling Marinette's weight over him.

Alya, alarmed by the sudden surprise, yelled too and scrambled for the lights, but by then realization, shame, and Adrien's pleas already had hit her.

"It's me, it's me!"

Next thing they knew, Nino came in rushing with a chair from the living room as his weapon of choice, yelling both in fear and in a cry for battle. "Leave them alone you- Adrien?"

He found them with Alya holding the bedside lamp, Adrien, bare-chested, lying on the ground, and Marinette on top of him.

"Eh… I need some context here."

"Sorrysorrysorry!" Marinette was blushing furiously and made a point of quickly scrambling off from Adrien, hitting her foot with the edge of the bed as she did. She hissed a curse at herself.

Now normally, Adrien would have reacted cool as a cucumber but that wasn't the case in that moment.

_Ladybug is on top of you. LADYBUG. IS. ON. TOP. OF. YOU._

"Are you okay?" Marinette asked, offering her hand to help him to his feet. "Oh my gosh, sorry! I didn't realize- I thought you were a burglar or something!"

The crimson blush that colored Adrien's entire face and his awestruck expression forced Marinette to stop blabbering. For a moment there, she thought she gave him a concussion.

"Adrien?"

Ladybug. She's ladybug.

"B-bug. I mean, yeah. 'M fine." He got to his feet and remember he didn't have a shirt on. And Marinette was watching -gawking was more like it, actually. And Marinette was probably Ladybug, so Ladybug was gawking at him.

He felt dizzy.

"I'm uh… I need to go." He darted to the exit, leaving a rather confused Nino, Alya, and Marinette.

Nino closed the door behind himself to let the girls get ready for the day, as soon as he did, girlish giggling trailed behind him.

"What was all that about?" Alya asked.

"I have no idea!" Marinette was too endeared by his reaction. "I feel so bad I pinned him down like that, though."

"Girl, I tell ya, I wouldn't want to be in a fist fight against you! Poor Adrien!"

"I'll have to find a way to make it up to him."

"Oh, didn't you see his face? No harm done, methinks!"

"Alya!"

The brunette grinned. "I've never seen him act like that. Did you teach him to speak blabber or what?"

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Don't make fun of him! Poor Adrien must've been so confused."

Alya smirked as she opened the curtains to let the sun in and disposed to pick her outfit for the day. "I don't know, if you ask me, I think it's just the secondary effects of last night."

"Last night?"

"Come on." She smiled knowingly. "We saw how you guys were handling it in the dancefloor."

Marinette blushed. "Oh."

"And let me just say, bien joue, my friend. Bien joue indeed. He couldn't take his eyes off of you, girl!"

Marinette bit her lip and allowed a smile on her lips. "Really?"

"Yeah!"

They both giggled.

The girls hurried to shower so Nino could have his turn, which meant Marinette had to be fast when picking her clothes, and she hated that. One of her favorite things to do in the morning was to plan her outfits, it always put her on a good mood. She settled for a pair of high-waist denim shorts, a red crop tank top with white spots, and black canvas shoes. Alya wore sandals, hip-high denim shorts, and a patterned pastel pink tank top with orange details that Marinette had confectioned herself. That was the first time she had tried to weave the back of a shirt, and was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. It really complimented Alya's frame.

They let in Adrien while they finished doing their makeup and waited for Nino to be ready. Like the day before, Adrien couldn't help but notice the girls' outfits, especially Marinette's, knowing that she made most of the things she wore.

 _She's so talented_ , he thought, unable to help the creeping blush on his face.

He watched as she did her makeup, noticed how she handled the utensils. He was willing to bet Marinette knew how to do professional makeup, she had the type of brushes and products they used in runway shows and photoshoots. She also applied them the way they're supposed to, not a lot of girls knew how to do that.

She made these cute faces when she applied the mascara and eyeliner, and absentmindedly sung to the music playing on Alya's phone. Oh, and that nude pink lipstick she chose sure looked great on her. Gosh, she looked pretty. A sigh escaped him, luckily without her noticing.

_Buzz. Buzz._

But Alya did.

He unlocked his phone and opened his Snapchat. This picture wasn't atrocious, but captured him mid-trance, with this stupid smile plastered on his face, totally oblivious to everything around him but the girl he was staring at.

"You poor unfortunate soul."

He glared at Alya and texted, "Help a brother out."

She chuckled. "DUDE. Hello? Where have u been the last 4 yrs?"

"what?"

Alya shrugged. Oops. Too much information.

Timely, Nino came out of the bathroom, fully dressed and ready to go.

They grabbed a quick breakfast and were on their way as soon as the bus arrived.

First stop: Magic Kingdom.

The four couldn't make coherent sounds for at least their first ten minutes in the park. They only communicated by squealing, shouting, pointing, and emphasized "oh my gods."

The sweet smells, the bubbling sounds of people enjoying themselves, the catchy movie soundtracks in the background, the colors, the rides, it all amounted to a crazed, collective hype. Alya was the voice of reason, when she managed to find an information booth with maps.

"So question is, where should we go first?"

"Space Mountain!" Adrien shouted.

"No, no, let's go to Splash Mountain," Nino shouted, a little louder.

"Please let's go to Pirates of the Caribbean!" Marinette begged. "I love that movie!"

Before Alya could say anything, they started arguing about why their ride should go first.

"We're closer to Tomorrowland, guys!"

"Nuh uh, we're also close to Adventureland."

"Yeah, but we should go to Splash Mountain first to have time for our clothes to dry."

"Nino, it's hotter than hell right now," Adrien countered.

"Kids, kids, no fighting or we go back to the hotel," Alya intervened. "Besides it's still pretty early and we have time to- OH MY GOSH THE EARS!"

In her defense, Alya tried to be the adult of this argument. She really did. The fact that the Emporium store was right across her face with all kinds of cute Mickey Mouse themed products was not her fault at all.

Alya left the other three, still arguing, only to be dragged back to the street by Marinette, claiming no one would be helping with the three bags worth of merch she wanted to buy.

She only agreed after buying herself a pair of R2-D2 themed ears. Marinette herself bought hers -Minnie's, certain that by the end of the day she would manage to lose or ruin them.

"Oh, lowkey Minnie Mouse cosplay, I like it!" Alya pointed out.

"Glad you noticed," Marinette said, laughing. "Great. Aaand now we lost the guys," She sighed a bit frustrated. "I told them to stay here."

After minutes of fruitless wandering, both girls' phones buzzed with a Snapchat notification from Adrien.

Nino and him grinned smugly at the camera, they were in a queue line for one of the rides. "We're closer to Tomorrowland," and a winking cat emoticon, was Adrien's choice of footnote.

There was a new notification, from Nino this time. It was a picture of Space Mountain's welcome sign.

"Get in losers, we're going to space."

Marinette snorted. "Did he just quote Mean Girls?"

"He's a rare dying breed of dork, what can I say?" Alya said.

It wasn't hard to spot Nino and Adrien in the queue, given that they towered above most of the people in the line.

"Would you look at Adrien fucking Agreste," Alya said with a chuckle, and pulling her phone out to take a snap of him.

Marinette looked, and yes, she saw what Alya found funny. It made Marinette bite her lip. Nino and Alya had pointed out before Adrien's weird tendency to pose unconsciously, as if he was modelling. The way he shifted his weight under his feet, how he combed his hair back, his unassuming expression as he looked away every once in a while, the way his sunshades gave him this air of stardom. Marinette expected a catwalk to pop out of nowhere.

The boys waved at them when they received Alya's snap: "Does this child ever stop modelling?"

 _Fuck,_ Marinette thought when they finally joined them in the queue. _He looks hotter up close._

But it was a different type of hot, she decided. It was familiar in a different way. He didn't look like Adrien, not exactly. His hair was ruffled and pointing in every direction, his shades covered just enough of his face, and that shit-eating grin he gave her for having gotten away with his ride being first…

Oh she knew exactly whom he looked like. She might as well stick a pair of cat ears on him and he'd be his doppelganger.

She gulped. Stupid Chat… Stupid Adrien for reminding me of Chat.

On his side, Adrien was glad for the sunshades and the warm day. For one, with the shades he could stare at her as much as he'd like and Marinette would be none the wiser, for two, his flush could be attributed to the heat so he didn't need to worry about being embarrassed.

She looked so cute with those Minnie ears on her, especially after she put on her own heart shaped sunshades. It did not escape him she picked her outfit consciously to resemble her.

"You didn't wait for us to buy the ears!" Nino whined.

"Hey. You were the ones who ran off," Alya said.

As they got closer to their turn in the ride, Marinette started to get a bit nervous. She could hear the screams all the way from the queue line. It was ridiculous, really, she had taken worse drops than a rollercoaster but at least she could control the fall when she was Ladybug. Here she was left at the mercy of engineers and computers. And she didn't trust those much.

Finally, it was their turn to board one of the carts. Nino and Alya took the front row and the other two followed on the next. Marinette jumped as the guy operating the ride verified the restraints were all put in place.

Marinette gulped.

_Come on, Marinette. It can't be that bad._

Wrong. Very wrong.

Marinette had never screamed so loudly in her entire life. She wouldn't be surprised if she left Adrien deaf. Ugh, now he was probably going to think she was some sort of wuss.

"Lift your arms, Mari," he said, laughing as the ride took another steep dive.

"Never," she hissed.

Adrien laughed lightly, freely. The way he laughed that time with the umbrella. And she would have become absorbed in it, if it weren't for the ungodly drops. Marinette spilt every curse in her books, which caused for Adrien to laugh even more.

"Are you laughing with me or at me?" Marinette teased, slightly amused at his laughter seizure, after they went down from the cart. Marinette's hair was mercilessly undone, with her pigtails drooping and her decorative ears slanting off.

"With you, my lady, of course… pfff."

Marinette couldn't help but laugh, too. Especially after seeing their picture. Everyone's face on it was terrible. Including her flawless, extremely photogenic Adrien.

"No, Adrien, don't buy it!" a very mortified Marinette pleaded.

"Or… I could buy it… and print t-shirts with it."

Nino laughed.

"I'd show up to photoshoots with it, not even lying." Not everyone had a picture of Ladybug screaming her head off, after all. "I'll add 'Hire me,' for good measure." Adrien was proud and quite smug at the fact Nino was practically clutching his sides.

Marinette blushed, trying not to show how amused she was. "Oh yes, you'd be quite the envy in Fashion Week, I'm sure."

He grinned and casually slung his arm around her, a gesture that immediately caused a smirk on Alya. "I'm just playing, Mari! I'll just print a zoom-in of Nino's face."

"Dude, please," Nino said, somehow finding enough breath to banter back. "I'll print yours. We can match."

"We'll wear it on Valentine's," Adrien suggested.

"Sorry Adrien, but the man's taken," Alya said. "Come on, lovebirds. Let's get going."

After straightening up, they went onto Stitch's Great Escape and Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, where Adrien and Alya, surprisingly, got a real kick out of some several awful puns. The day progressed and with it, their coverage of the park. After Tomorrowland, they went to Fantasyland- Marinette's favorite. They visited Ariel, Cinderella, and Belle. Adrien had to bite his tongue several times, as he was close to call Marinette his princess, even though technically, she was Chat's. By Alya and Marinette's request, they rode the teacups and the carrousel, then the boys asked to finally get their ears. Nino got Stich's. Adrien got Mickey's.

 _Buzz, buzz._ That was Marinette's phone.

"What are those ears made of?"

 _Buzz, buzz._ A zoom-in into the ears. "*BOYFRIEND MATERIAL*"

"Copycat," Marinette said, gently nudging him as they went out of the store.

Adrien blushed but managed to stutter back, "Gr-great minds think alike, right?"

They came across Minnie and Mickey while taking pictures in front of Cinderella's castle, and managed to get both quite embarrassed, as the pair of mice acted delighted to see their "look-a-likes." They were asking for them to kiss each other. Since, you know, Mickey and Minnie were a thing.

"N-no, she's not my girlfriend…" Unfortunately. Adrien explained when the characters insisted and demonstrated how to give a proper kiss on the cheek. Minnie and

Mickey acted absolutely shocked at Adrien's declaration, and both kissed Marinette on each cheek- something Alya fortunately caught a picture of.

They gestured at Marinette as if saying, "Your turn!"

Adrien was blushing so much he could feel the heat radiating off his skin.

They tried another tactic, and went with Nino and Alya, who happily obliged as Marinette took a picture of them and the characters.

Mickey encouraged Adrien, but seeing he wasn't budging, he beckoned for Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen, who were across them, to come help. Mickey and Minnie explained the situation and it just got worse for Adrien. He wanted the earth to swallow him, or to jump into the castle's moat.

"Oh my, my," Tiana said. "You're a rather shy prince. Naveen could show you a thing or two, right sugar?"

"Of course, princess!" He spoke with a thick accent which hinted of a French or Italian tongue. "You see my boy, the key to a princess' heart is true love's kiss. You must not be shy, this is very beautiful princess in front of you!"

She twirled Marinette, who giggled. She was a bit embarrassed, yes, but she was having the time of her life. Adrien looked really cute when flustered, she discovered.

"And this is a rather handsome prince, no?" Naveen said to Marinette, who only managed to giggle. "Right, princess?"

"Y-yes…"

"See!"

But Marinette had a spurge of deviancy, and motivated by the same confidence that pushed to practically act like Ladybug without her costume, she got on her tiptoes and pecked Adrien's cheek herself.

Needless to say, Adrien could have fainted if he tried.

_LADYBUG KISSED ME. MARINETTE KISSED ME. HELP. SOMEBODY PINCH ME._

The four characters exclaimed in delight and after achieving "true love's kiss," they waved goodbye at the quartet.

"That was so cute!" Alya said. "I got it all on video, I honestly was expecting them to break into a musical number!"

Marinette just kept glancing at Adrien, who had this lost expression on his face.

Nino had to snap his fingers in front of him as the girls walked to get on the line for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

"You okay there, bro? How's your virginity?"

"Oh, shut the hell up," Adrien said, even more embarrassed.

Nino chuckled. "Sorry man, it's just sometimes… god, you two could give people cavities if you set your mind to it."

Regaining a little bit of his crumbled confidence, Adrien managed to casually brush her hand when they were riding the Pirates' ride, which also happened when they went to the Haunted Mansion and Aladdin's ride.

By the time they were on the queue to Splash Mountain, he finally managed to hold her hand. To their benefit, Nino and Alya acted as if they didn't notice. But boy, did they. Their flushing face was tell-tale.

"I am going to die," Marinette said, eyes popping wide, as she saw the ride's steepest fall.

Adrien squeezed her hand and smiled. "Well, you survived transatlantic turbulence. Chances are you'll survive this-."

A loud boom overpowered Adrien's voice, the music, and the background noise. People looked around confused, trying to make out where the sound came from. They did not have to wait for long, as smoke started coming out of the insides of the ride next to theirs, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

The people in the queue line ran in different directions, rapidly falling into a state of panic. Adrien looked at Marinette, who was still contemplating the scene with sheer shock.

"Oh no! If only Ladybug was here!" Alya said, with evident worry in her voice and producing her cellphone from her bag to record the event. "Marinette, where the heck are you going? Stay here!"

She seemed frustrated Alya caught her trying to sneak away, which further evidenced his theory, but this was not a moment to be thinking about crushes. People were in danger.

Nino pulled everyone to the side at the sight of a second explosion. Adrien heard from someone running away that there were people stuck inside, in one of the carts.

Marinette cursed herself for not being stealthier. If she disappeared now and Ladybug all of a sudden came into action, Alya would be more than able to connect the dots.

After all, how many French people could be possibly visiting the same park, the same area, at the same time, to conveniently waltz into the scene?

"We need to move," Adrien said, with a rather authoritative tone was not a lot like him. From afar, he saw a kid crying, standing in the way of a cart that was luckily empty. It didn't take Adrien a lot of brain to figure out what would happen next.

"Watch out!" he screamed, and darted to tackle the boy out of the way just in time to evade the derailing train, which landed precipitously on the lake in front of the attraction.

"Adrien!" Marinette exclaimed, and he would have returned, if it weren't for the fact the boy told him his mom and his older brother were inside one of the tunnels.

He nodded. "Don't worry, they're going to be fine. Stay here."

Adrien rushed into the ride and found a good isolated corner to let Plagg out of his jacket's pocket.

"Mouse ears, really?"

"Not the time, Plagg. Claws out!"

It seemed the locomotive of the ride was what caused the explosions, and the fire that now slowly crept into the veins of the ride. Chat coughed, glad his mask protected his eyes from the smoke that filled his lungs. He knew he only had minutes before it was too much to bear, before the fire caught up.

"Is anyone here?" he shouted. "I'm here to help!"

He navigated the rails until he found where the train got stuck. In accordance with his bad luck, it had gotten caught in the last tunnel, before the steepest fall.

"Help us!"

"The restrains won't come off!"

Adrien felt compassion for them, and was glad he found them soon. "Calm down, everything is going to be-."

Boom! And then the train moved a little. He gasped. It was coming back online, the explosion shook it enough to shift it back into the rail and it'd be only seconds before the weight collapsed onto it and… Yeah, he had seconds.

"Cataclysm!" He touched the main system of the restraints, which magically disintegrated as he touched them.

"Shh, shh, don't cry," he consoled a boy around eleven. "We're going to play pretend, okay? We'll pretend we're mountain cats! Mountain cats are brave and they can climb anything, just like us!"

He kept on mumbling stupid facts he remembered about cats and climbing and even threw a pun or two, to try and calm the kids down. When both adults and children were safely out of the train, he spoke, "Everybody follow me, we haven't got-!" The train false-started again. "Quick!" He piggybacked the smallest kid and carried two others. "You ready, chatons?"

They nodded. As they hurried to find a good angle to climb down, Adrien kept rambling. "Boy, we have a rocky situation here! Down you go, that's it, one foot, the other. Good kitty!" He turned to one of the adults. "Make sure they all come down safely. I'll stay back in case the train derails. The man could do nothing but nod.

Just as the last civilian climbed down and Chat was getting ready, the train finally clicked back into the rail and regained its speed.

"No! He leapt back into the track with feline agility and expanded his pole to deflect the course of the train, successfully smashing it against part of the prop rocks but also managing to get himself ricocheted into the water.

\---

"Is that-" Alya pointed at the mystery hero that was helping people climb down the ride. "Chat Noir?"

Marinette gasped. Yes, yes that was Chat Noir. She'd recognize him anywhere. The fact that she could not transform into Ladybug was more frustrating now, she couldn't watch him risk his life like that by himself. Never mind that civilian Chat was in the same area as her- that they picked the exact same continent, the exact same country, the exact same resort, and the exact same attraction at the same time, for vacation. All she could focus on was that train that menaced to start at any given time.

"Hurry up, Chat," she muttered.

Then things happened so fast. She watched as the train started, Chat somehow smashing it against the prop structure, and his body immediately being flung across the air, right into the lake.

She could not run fast enough.

"CHAT NOIR!" she screamed.

Alya and Nino followed close behind, scared both for the superhero and their missing friend's whereabouts. Marinette did not think twice about plunging into the water to fetch his unconscious body from the water.

He coughed, for a moment unsure why Marinette was so upset -were those tears? Yes, they were.

"Princess?" He reached for her face and that's when he noticed the last blinking paw pad, warning him of his imminent transformation. He sat up with a gasp, and flinched at the pain on his back.

"No, don't move, you stupid cat!" she said, between sobs. "You could have died!"

"You don't understand," he urged. "I'm about to transform, people can't see me here."

"I don't care, I'll keep it a secret!"

He widened his eyes, hesitant for a moment. He could, she wanted to… No. This wasn't the moment, not like this, not rushed. He waited four years. He could wait a little longer.

"Your friend Adrien," he pressed.

Marinette gasped, tears suddenly flooding her eyes again.

"Let me go find him."

"But-."

"Mari, please."

 _Mari_. She was too awestruck to react, allowing for Chat to dart back into the smoky shadows of the ride's base and detransform just in time.

He cursed, realizing the pain of the fall was still there and his clothes were damp. Of course, no Miraculous Cure, no new back, no dry clothes.

By the time he transformed back, the firefighters and paramedics were already handling the situation. A park representative was asking questions about who got them out of the ride, who prevented the catastrophe.

He overheard, "One of the cast members. A cat guy. Was this a publicity stunt? Because it was really distasteful. You bet your pants I'm going to sue!"

"Really," he muttered to himself. "I save them and they confuse me with a Disney character." He rushed to the water again, to make it look like he was just crawling out of that particular area -and so that Marinette wouldn't suspect about the damp clothes. They found him and rushed to help. Nino and Alya, mostly. Marinette simply looked at him as if she had seen a ghost. She was drained of color, her face was splotchy, and if she tried to open her eyes wider they would probably pop out. He evaded her gaze, knowing there was more than surprise in her expression. He didn't know how, but he knew he slipped more than he should have. So much for the perfect identity reveal.

"Dude, what the fuck! Help me understand your thought process, man. That's about the stupidest thing you've ever done, Adrien! What even!" Nino scolded him.

"Sorry…" he said meekly.

"You could have died!" Alya pressed. "I mean… Adrien, what… I just… If Chat Noir hadn't been there."

"Chat Noir was here?" he asked surprised. "I… I didn't see. Is that how everyone…"

"He showed up right after the first train derailed," Alya said, looking suspiciously at him. "Right after you…"

"Tripped," Adrien explained. "And hit my head. Just woke up."

He looked at Marinette, who now had this mix between anger, fear, and sadness.

"You're not scolding me?" he asked, feeling so much shame it was comparable to his physical pain.

She kept quiet.

Mari, Chat Noir called her Mari. Chat never talked to her so much that he called her by her shortened nickname. Only Adrien did. Ugh, this was so stupid of her! There had been a terrible accident, Chat almost lost his life, Adrien, too, and all she could think about his the possibility of Chat being Adrien! What an idiot.

"If you don't want to talk to me that's fine but- oomph!"

She tackled him into a hug, and hated herself for not being able to withhold the sobbing.

"You're an idiot, Adrien Agreste!"

"The biggest," he said, holding her as tight as his weak arms could allow. "I'm sorry," he said, nuzzling her neck. "But that boy…"

"I know! Don't, just… Don't you ever do that again!"

Adrien couldn't help but feel she was scolding Chat Noir, more than him. But then again, it could be his imagination. Or the exhaustion. Or the fact that his knees were buckling under his own weight and that he suddenly felt really sleepy.

Or the fact that suddenly, everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not sorry I keep ending these on cliffhangers.  
> Also, the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad derailment was a real thing that happened in Disneyland in 2003. Whatever you do, do not google accidents in WDW/Disneyland. They will inevitably lead you to creepypastas. Trust me on this one.  
> Also, I'll have you guys know, thanks to the fic my cookies now think I'm planning a trip to Orlando, so all the adds I see are Disney related and I may or may not be developing a slow burning craving.  
> Oh, real quick announcement! I will be out of town for two weeks because #fucking adulthood so I have a work trip and I won't be having internet or free time to work on the next chapter, so this one might delay even a bit more. But bear with me, I'm still here. I'll try to hurry and post the next one during the weekend but I can't promise anything.  
> Also, all aboard the fluff train, next stop cavityland! That being said, until next chapter, mes chatons. <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I am back and this pair of idiots get the best of me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS!!! I AM BACK!  
> Thanks for all the lovely comments you left while I was gone. For those who wondered, I had to go to this island in the middle of freaking nowhere, so I had zero internet or data and hence a lot of messages went by unanswered.  
> Either way, here's chapter 6!
> 
> EDIT: Also, make yourself a favor and read this chapter while listening to Say Something (I'm Giving Up On You) by A Great Big World.

The next time he woke up, a friendly, unknown face greeted him. A doctor. He was at the park's hospital, he got sent with the rest of the visitors that had been in the accident.

"You were lucky," he said. "Your friends say you got in the way of one of the trains to save a boy."

He nodded. "How long have I've been out?"

"Just a couple hours, mainly from exhaustion, I should add. Your body is slightly bruised but you should be okay after resting for a day or two. That means no rides, no walking around. Understood?"

Adrien nodded, still a bit dazed of how his first day in the park had turned out. So much for the happiest place on Earth.

Park representatives met up with him just before he was allowed to join his friends. They offered him all these free things, and VIP passes, and nights free at all their hotels and cruises, so long as he signed a privacy waiver so that he wouldn't sue.

In another circumstance, Adrien wouldn't have done it. But he knew if this made it into the news-- if his father knew he had been in the accident, he'd be shipped back to France faster than you can say "lucky charm. " No one had been harmed, after all. So he signed, and when they asked him if he had seen the cat boy that saved everyone, he shrugged and said, "Sorry, I didn't see anything."

The doctor gave him some pain relievers, an unguent he was supposed to apply on his bruises, and he got sent back to the hotel.

Needless to say, the other three practically shoved him into the bus back to their suite when he tried to argue he felt good enough to keep looking around. He didn't have the nerve to confront the combined anger of Nino and Marinette.

After he got away with staying on the futon instead of switching rooms with Nino, they prepared it for him, and helped him lay down. Alya and Nino went to ask for information about take-away dinner options at the front desk.

Adrien was a bit annoyed at how careful they were being with him. If he wanted a 24/7 watch he would have stayed home.

"I'm not made of glass, you know," he said to Marinette, crossing his arms like a four-year-old throwing a tantrum.

"I'm not the one who ran headfirst into a fire, so."

"I'm sorry," he said, sheepishly. "I really am."

"I know." She sighed. "So, you really didn't see Chat Noir?" 

He shook his head.

Marinette squinted at him. "Funny, he said he'd fetch you, from wherever it is you were."

Adrien felt a cold shiver break on his body. "Yeah… uh, well, I was by the lake."

She nodded, pensively, and brought her knees to her chest. "He wasn't looking so well."

"I'm sure he's fine."

"Not without the Miraculous Cure. You weren't there to see. He took a really nasty fall. I wonder if he injured himself."

She grabbed a handful of her hair and shook her head. "That stupid cat is gonna get himself killed one day," she muttered under her breath, though loud enough for Adrien to listen. He pretended he didn't.

"I know he's okay. Because I'm Chat Noir," he wanted to say. "And I've been suspecting for a while that you're Ladybug."

Instead he kept silent, feeling how the words burned his tongue.

Marinette's phone suddenly ringed with a call, disturbing the uncomfortable stillness.

"Hello?"

" _Marinette?"_

"Mom!" Both her and Adrien tensed up.

_"Are you okay? We saw what happened in Disney World. It made it into the news. Chat Noir was there."_

"Uh… yeah. We were in another part of the park at the time. We heard, though."

Sabine let out a clear sigh of relief. " _So you kids made it alright? Where are you right now?"_

"Yeah, uh… we're at the hotel. It's really nice in here. I'm with Adrien."

_"Just him?"_

Ugh, stupid move. She flushed, knowing the speakers were loud enough for Adrien to hear the conversation. He pretended to be busy with his own phone, though. "Yeah, uh… he was feeling a bit sick so we decided to head back early. Alya and Nino went to grab food for everyone."

_"Oh, poor thing! Tell him to take care."_

Saved. Marinette sighed in relief.

"I will maman. Hey, I have to go. Alya and Nino just got here." They hadn't.

_"Okay chérie. Take care. Love you!"_

"Love you, too, maman. Tell dad I send hugs."

She hanged up.

With their situation aside for a moment, Adrien watched half amused, half completely shocked at how deftly Marinette, sweet, innocent Marinette, just lied to her mother.

"You didn't even blink," he commented. "You could be a psychopath for all that I know," he teased.

"Hey, I'm already friends with a suicidal guy, so what else is new."

He chuckled. "Say what you want, but I never thought you'd be such a smooth liar."

She blushed, a bit embarrassed. "What did you want me to say? 'Oh yeah, mom. We were there and

Adrien totally helped Chat Noir. And he disappeared for the entire thing and then he fainted when we found him, you know! And he scared us to death, and--'." And suddenly she was crying. She cursed at herself, because she was really aiming at some light-hearted tease. So much for that.

Adrien couldn't help but feel half those tears were not for him, but for Chat Noir, which strangled his heart even more. He tried to put himself in Marinette's shoes for a second. Her superhero crush almost died in front of her. And then when he, Adrien, reappeared in the scene, what did he do? Faint in the poor girl's arms.

"A--and if I told her that, yo-your dad would have heard because I know her and she would've moved heaven and earth to let him know you were okay and…"

Right, his dad! So that's why she lied. She was covering for him.

Oh, Marinette.

"S-stop looking at me like that!" she demanded, not wanting to deal with his sad kitten eyes at the moment.

He pulled her into a hug, instead. To his surprise, she clung to him as soon as his arms were around her.

He rested his head on top of hers and patiently waited as she let her fear out. His shirt was damp from her tears, which only made him feel guiltier.

"I'm glad you're okay," she muttered, squeezing him tightly. "Really, I am. I'm glad."

"But?"

"I'm worried about Chat Noir."

He laughed good-naturedly. "You really do have a crush on him, don't you?"

She sniffed and shook her head. "I don't know."

A long, tense silence settled in. It was dense with implications. It meant that despite the way she acted, Marinette was not in love with him, Adrien, after all. It meant that, either way, he ended up heartbroken. But if she knew who he was, maybe things would be simpler.

Plagg's words ringed in his head, _trust your instincts._

He sighed. _Well, if you're gonna do it, do it all at once so it doesn't hurt that bad._

"Marinette…" he muttered. "I, uh… if, somehow…" His voice quivered, small and unsure. Mousy instead of feline. "Um, well. You know friends keep secrets for each other, right?"

She turned to him, face splotchy and confused.

"I--I mean… There's something I need to tell you. But, uh… it's kind of a secret." He saw as she paled and her eyes widened. He only hoped she wouldn't get back at him, fainting, too. "I-- I've never told anyone about this and--"

He suddenly became aware of the fact they had unconsciously closed the space between them. He was so close he could feel her breath.

"A-and." He couldn't think about what he was going to say next. All he could focus on was how close he was, how easy it'd be to just kiss her and put the Chat Noir topic under the rug. But that would not be right, she just told him she wasn't sure of how she felt, regardless of whether he was what made her doubt. And yet, if she liked Chat Noir so much, why didn't she flinch away? Why was she resting her hands on his chest? Why did she move closer?

"I'm--"

"We're back!" Alya exclaimed as her and Nino stormed into the room with a grinning expression and as much junk food as money could buy.

"We brought pizza," Nino said.

Adrien and Marinette practically pushed each other away, each jumping to opposite ends of the futon.

Alya and Nino threw terrified glances at each other, immediately catching drift of what was about to happen, and the fact that they blew it.

"I-" Marinette stuttered. _Bathroom. Now. NOW. Abort mission!_ "I'm going to take a shower."

She sprinted out of the scene, with Adrien about to chase behind her if not for the fact the sudden movement caused for him to wince in pain.

Marinette locked the door to the room, to the bathroom, too, for good measure. She turned on the shower and let Tikki out of her purse.

"What am I doing Tikki?" She kneaded her face in desperation and paced around the steam-filled bathroom.

"There's no need to panic, Marinette," Tikki said encouragingly. "You like Adrien, don't you?"

"Yeah but-- oh my gosh, what was he going to say, Tikki?"

"Why don't you ask him?"

"Because I don't think I even want to know!" She bit her fingernails. "This is bad, this is really, really bad. It's…"

" _Cat_ astrophic?"

She glared at the little kwami with death in her eyes. "You're not helping."

Tikki giggled despite Marinette's obvious mortification. She wondered for a moment how Plagg was dealing with Adrien, knowing that he usually got the short end of the stick. Ladybugs were usually easier to come around when the revelation of their identities happened, but it was almost as if Marinette _wanted_ to ignore the obvious. To be fair, it had always been that way.

Marinette plopped down on the lid of the toilet seat, arms dangling to her sides, defeated.

"What if…" her voice was small, full of dread. "Oh no… OH NO!" She had to bite a towel to prevent herself from screaming her head off.  "What if Chat Noir is Adrien?" For real this time. The silly texting was a mere coincidence. The dancing? Well, it's Adrien Agreste, it didn't surprise her he knew how to dance. Today's events? Those tethered on downright divine intervention. 

Her stomach turned into a convoluted knot the moment she heard herself asking that. She shivered.

"No no no no no. He can't be. He _isn't._ This was just a coincidence." **_Another_** _coincidence,_ she thought.

"Why would it be so bad if he is?" Tikki reasoned.

"Because they're completely different people, Tikki! Adrien is not at all like Chat. And Chat well, Chat's _Chat!_ He's reckless, and silly, and has a terrible sense of humor, and he…" She cut herself midsentence as she paced around the tiny bathroom again, recalling the events of the day. Reckless? Check. He almost killed himself that afternoon. Silly? Check. That thing with the printed T-shirts? He wasn't kidding, she knew. Him and Nino had pulled stunts like that before. Horrible sense of humor? The fact that he thought Chemistry puns were funny proved the entire point.

"Maybe you should sit," Tikki suggested, worried about her horrified expression.

"Be-because…" Marinette continued answering her kwami's question. "Because that would mean… he's been there all along."

_And I turned him down so many times._

_And he went from annoying younger sibling to high school crush in what seemed like seconds._

_And… it's him._

_It's been him all this time and I was so stupidly infatuated that I completely ignored the fact I was crushing ON THE SAME FUCKING PERSON._

Suddenly, realization dawned upon her, and once it hit, it was like a dam that just collapsed. Marinette felt crushed by the overwhelming details and memories that suddenly shone under a different light. And everything suddenly made sense.

Conveniently always missing from an akuma attack, but always around by the time it ended. The fact he knew so much about Chat Noir. Why sometimes, when she was able to see beneath Chat's facade, she encountered a kindness that was strangely familiar. Why she started being curious about that kindness he was so bent on hiding underneath the flirting and bantering. Why sometimes she couldn't help but feel like they had met before.

It made so much sense, now that she thought of it.

Why Chat's demeanor was all about grandeur and recklessness, and _freedom._ It was the same reason why Ladybug was courageous, sassy, confident. Because underneath the mask she was a simple, clumsy girl. Underneath the mask, he had never known freedom, friendship.

And then, on top of realizing how stupidly obvious everything was, her mind took her on a nerve-wrecking journey through her memories with Adrien.

The day with the umbrella. His first birthday in school. That time after akumatized Volpina. The endless akuma attacks. The first time he went to her house. How close and yet, how very far they were from each other.

And then she remembered:

_I've kissed Chat Noir. I've hugged Chat Noir._

_I've danced with Adrien. I've played videogames with Adrien. I CAME TO FREAKIN' DISNEY WORLD WITH ADRIEN._

"FUCK!" she exclaimed loud enough that the others heard, she was sure. "Fuck fuck fuck. Tikki!" she whined. "Tikki! I'VE KISSED CHAT NOIR. AND CHAT NOIR IS ADRIEN. AND ADRIEN IS HIM. AND CHAT IS IN THE OTHER ROOM."

"What?" Tikki asked. "Marinette, maybe we should talk about this later. You don't seem to be taking it so well."

"Not taking it well? That time I cried over my failed math test I didn't take it well. That time I missed Jagged Stone's concert I didn't take it well. This? Not taking it well is the understatement of the year! This is a whole other level of messed up and you're expecting me to act like it's a freaking walk around the park?! And you're not denying it at all! It's him, isn't it? Adrien?"

She shrugged. "You should ask him."

Marinette's nostrils flared as she groaned, feeling a strong impulse to strangle the tiny god.  

She stared at the running shower, mad at everything and everyone. "I'm just gonna shower. I'm too tired for this right now."

Marinette dealt with the situation the way every responsible young adult would: By evading the subject as much as possible in the hopes that it might solve itself, or that it'd fade, or that she'd die. Whatever came first. After the bath, she resurfaced into their tiny common area, where Nino, Adrien, and Alya were stuffing their faces and watching Mulan.

She made a point of evading Adrien's gaze, whom was evidently confused at her silent treatment.

"Hey!" Alya's voice was gentle as she greeted her. "We saved you some pizza."

"Thanks," she said, still lingering by the door. "But uh… I'm not very hungry. Actually, I'm feeling kinda tired so I'm going to call it a night."

"Alright," Alya said.

Marinette gave them a short nod. "'Night."

Lies. All lies. She wasn't sure she'd even be able to sleep that night, as it had become common for her to go to bed with increasingly convincing evidence about Chat Noir's-- Adrien's?-- identity. However, she could fool the boys, but never Alya. And when she joined her in the bedroom after the movie, Marinette was anything but ready for her drill of questions.

"Okay, spit it out," Alya said. Marinette dug herself deeper into the covers. "What's going on girl? Are you okay?"

Marinette nodded under the covers, making her figure look like a huge marshmallow coming to life.

"What happened? Is it Adrien? What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, don't you 'nothing' me, Marinette Dupain-Cheng." Alya yanked the covers off from her, revealing a pouty Marinette. To an extent, Alya deserved to know what was going on with her, but that didn't mean she could actually go about spewing things that might lead her to discover her identity. Things were already bad as they were.

Against her own will, she lied again. "I was just…" Her eyes clouded at the memory. Surprisingly, she didn't actually have to lie to feel sad. "I was very worried."

"Oh," Alya said. "Aw, girl. Come here." She made Marinette crawl to her arms. "Yeah, I was, too." They were silent for a second. "Freaking Adrien, though. Right?"

"He… he's going to get himself killed one of these days."

Alya nodded. "He was lucky. But you have to admit that was very brave of him. If he hadn't done it, that boy probably wouldn't be alive right now." 

"Yeah…" Marinette curled around one of the pillows. "I guess you're right."

"That's not to say it wasn't stupid, but it could have been worse. And we should be happy nothing bad happen, and, sort of try to put it under the rug, if it makes sense."

Marinette nodded. 

"I'm getting him a leash," said Marinette, with a deadpan expression that cause Alya to cackle.

The image brought Mari a sense of satisfaction. A cat with a leash. Chat Noir with a leash. She laughed. He wouldn't like that very much.

"Speaking about leashes," Alya said. "We were thinking about going to Animal Kingdom tomorrow, sounds good?"

Marinette frowned at her.

"I know, I know. I made that face too, but he was so. stubborn. about it. He said he'd be mad if we had to waste a day because of him, and that we should go without him."

Spotting Marinette's will to argue against that, she quickly added, "Been there, done that, girl. We'll try again tomorrow." Then, she turned off the lights.

For a change, Marinette actually fell asleep without much effort. The jetlag combined with a whole day of walking in a tropical weather in summer, plus that nerve-shattering accident at the end, really drained her energy out. She didn't even dream. Which is the reason why she found herself cursing when she woke up at the sound of someone coughing their lungs out.

First she thought it was Alya, so she nudged gently. But soon enough she realized the sound came from outside. It couldn't be Nino because his room was the furthest away from them, so by rule of elimination…

She sighed, feeling the impulse to go check on him but also dreading the idea of a conversation she wasn't ready to have.

Her stomach sunk when she thought of it that way. Adrien was her crime-fighting partner. No, he wasn't. Innocent until proven guilty.

She slipped out of bed and quietly went to the common area. Where, yes, Adrien was having a coughing fit.

"Mar--" Cough! "fUck." Cough again. "What are you--." And again. "Doing he--." Yes, again. "Re?" And again.

"You should sit up," she said simply, acting very business-like about the whole ordeal. She pulled his arms and helped him out. At the touch of his skin, she pouted. "You're hot-- AH I mean, hotter. NO. Warmer. Warmer than usual. You feel warmer than usual."

"I feel a bit woozy, my throat hurts," he admitted.

"Must've been the splash and the AC," she reasoned. "It was pretty warm today."

He sighed and gently knocked his head against the wall. "Great. My first real vacation and I catch a cold."

"Bad luck."

"Yeah." Cough again.

"I'm going to turn on the lamp for a while, okay? I need to find the thermostat."

"Okay. Just… wait a sec. There. Okay, go ahead."

The light revealed Adrien tucked tightly, with only his head poking out of the covers. "I, uh, I don't have a shirt on," he explained.

"Oh."

Both blushed. Marinette studiously kept her eyes glued to the screen of the thermostat as she adjusted it to a warmer 68 degrees Farenheit instead of the 62 everyone agreed on, while simultaneously fighting an annoying little voice that nagged her _. Chat Noir is half naked in the same room as you. Adrien Agreste is half naked in the same room as you._

She was thankfully distracted as she heard him curse under his breath. "I forgot to take my painkillers," he said, as he reached for his satchel, which was lying on the floor next to him. That's when she spotted the bruises on his right shoulder blade, by the looks of them, they extended along his torso. For once, instead of embarrassed, nervous, or enthralled, she was scared.

"Adrien, oh my god!" she exclaimed and rushed to inspect him closer.

"What?"

"Your back! It's so bruised!" Guilt was heavy on her tone. This wouldn't have happened if Ladybug had been there to help him.

"It's nothing," he said, knowing better than to tell her he's had it way worse. Contrary to what Ladybug-- Marinette?-- thought, the Miraculous Cure couldn't always get rid of all the bruises and scratches. It helped insane amounts, but sometimes when the akuma was especially powerful the injury wouldn't go away. Too much bad luck, he supposed.

He peeked over his shoulder to check on the purple spots on his skin. "No wonder they gave me the unguent…" he said to himself.

Marinette sighed a bit exasperated. "You didn’t use that either, did you?”

Adrien shrugged sheepishly at her. “I didn’t think it was that bad.”

“Where is it?"

"Wha--?"

"The unguent, Adrien."

Not daring to argue with the tone that dangerously resembled an irritated Ladybug, he pointed at the satchel.

"Lie down."

He remained still and expectant, trying to figure out in advance how Marinette's fingers would feel on his skin. At first, he tensed, just like her. But seeing how much he hurt himself really brought Marinette down to earth. Adrien remitted to enjoy the sensation, which felt so much better than he already expected, and sighed as her fingers gently spread the concoction on the aching regions of his back.

Marinette on her part was having a time to keep herself together.

"You shouldn't feel guilty, you know?" Adrien lazily commented as she managed to summon enough courage to divert her touch from his bruises onto the unharmed sections. His neck, for example.

"I chose to do that. There's nothing you could have done to prevent me."

"Except maybe tie you to a pole or something."

He laughed. "You'd need some sort of wire for that."

"I'd manage."

Adrien found it hard to hide his disappointment when Marinette finished applying the unguent, but something told him asking for a massage wouldn't be in anyone's benefit right now.

"What you did was very brave, but you should take better care of yourself," she commented as she put the vial away.  "Last time I checked people don't have nine lives."

"Nope, only cats do…"

"That's a myth."

Silence. A thick, uncomfortable silence that if it were anything else, it'd be them revealing their individual truths at the top of their lungs.

"Anyway, you should put on some socks and a shirt so your cough doesn't get worse." She turned off the lamp and disposed to leave.

"Marinette, wait," he said gently. "Can I ask you for a favor?"

Her stomach dropped. "Y-yes."

"Would you come here for a second?"

Marinette found him in the darkness, as he scooted closer, to have her in his arms like earlier that day.

She let out a sigh and allowed herself to relax in his arms, daring to return the hug. They held each other like that for a while, quietly, just enjoying the other's presence. A presence that was slowly beginning to reconcile two parts that seemed to be unattached, parts that were actually comprising a whole.

Marinette realized this was not bad, not by a long shot, and found herself revisiting Tikki's initial question. Would it really be the end of the world if it turned out Chat Noir was Adrien? Wasn't that the solution to the predicament waiting for her back in Paris? If anything she should be glad. Glad that her school crush, and her partner whom she fell in love with, were actually the same person.

Given that she could overcome the initial and painful awkwardness, maybe, just maybe, it could work. But the thought of it all, how everything would change, made her tremble. So let's say that by some miracle Adrien did not end up completely disappointed about her being Ladybug. Let's say, he actually loved her back. Let's say they… became a couple? That idea wrecked her nerves. It was everything she wanted, but also everything she feared. Because you can't break something that does not exist. And yes, Chat and Lady had always been the best of friends. But this was different. What if they fought? What if they broke up? That scared her.

But let's also say it worked, let's say everything turned out the way she imagined. Let's say Chat and her were finally together, and they were happy. And stronger than ever. And let's say they spend the rest of the summer together, and the last year of lycée, and…

That idea scared her even more.

Like Tikki often said, she was more afraid of the prospect of success, than that of failure.

"Thank you for caring about me," Adrien finally muttered. "I just… I guess sometimes I forget there's actually people that do mind if something happens to me."

Marinette hugged him tightly. _Of course I care about you, chaton._

"Ow." He chuckled. "My back."

"Sorry!"

"It's okay," he said, and squeezed her lightly, too. "So… I guess I'm sorry I made you worry like that. I… I wasn't really thinking. "

"It's okay," Marinette muttered. "Alya is right, you were brave to do that. Stupid, but brave."

She fell silent, but Adrien could tell she was expecting for him to say something else. He gulped.

When he didn't, she spoke. "Adrien?"

"Yes?"

"Wh-what were you going to tell me before Alya and Nino arrived?"

She felt his heart race and his frame tense up. Noticing the silence extended for far too long, she squeezed him gently one last time before letting go. But he didn't do the same. He held her in place, tense, with his head resting on top of hers. The now familiar scent of strawberry-scented shampoo flooded his nose.

"Adrien?"

She felt him shifting, readjusting to face her. Even though they were submerged in darkness, she knew exactly where he was. She could feel his breathing close to her face. The tips of his unruly bangs brushed ever so slightly against her cheeks. His hands snaked their way up to her waist. Hers found his shoulders.

It was dark and yet everything was so clear.

Adrien smelled lightly of cologne with a curious hint of something moldy… cheese? Yes. It was cheese, Camembert, to be precise. She recognized the smell from the quiches her father prepared.

Her heart raced as she realized what was going on. A voice in her head screamed to pull away, to run back to the bathroom and lock herself up until it was time to go back to Paris. But she pushed it aside, because Ladybug or not, this was what she had wanted for so long. And Chat Noir or not, Adrien was kissing Marinette, not Ladybug.

She sighed, and though she still could hear her own pulse, she relaxed. Focused on him. His hands, his smell, the little moans that escaped him. His lips. 

_Innocent until proven guilty. INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. HE IS NOT CHAT NOIR._

Except now she had evidence because if there was anything she was certain of, that would be she had kissed these lips before.

 _Guilty._ Because as much as she wanted to forget how kissing Chat Noir felt like four years ago, if she was honest with herself, the memory never left her.

 _Adrien is Chat Noir._ She finally admitted, not an ounce of doubt in her. Feeling panic, excitement, fear, relief, horror, all wash over her at once. And yet, somehow, she managed to keep kissing him. She didn't want to stop and by the looks of it, neither did Adrien. Because when she tried to pull away to breathe, Adrien gently cupped her face and brought her to his lips again.

"Stay," he mumbled.

Marinette melted.

In that moment, Adrien didn't care if Marinette was Ladybug or not, all he knew was that he didn't want the kiss to end. He ignored his confliction because it was painful to consider that the girl in his arms was not the very same girl that had stolen his heart four years ago. She had to be. If not, this kiss would ruin him. How could he go back to blindly loving Ladybug with the knowledge that Marinette made him feel like he was home?

The idea planted fear in him, so he ignored it. He would not let his obsession ruin this moment for him. After all, Marinette was the one kissing him, accepting him, not Ladybug.

Finally, they were forced to part for air. But even then they didn't let distance grow between them.

_Trust your instinct. Just tell her already. It's her, I'll be damned if she's not. I know it's her._

"I thought you weren't a cat person," he muttered with a ragged breath.

_That's it, that's your cue. Ask him._

_Do it._

_What are you waiting for?!_

She faked a giggle and stated as-matter-of-factly, "But you're not a cat."

She couldn't do it. She was too scared.

"You're right," he said, wounds evident in his voice as he finally let go.

The atmosphere changed as if someone suddenly had changed the thermostat to zero degrees. Where there was warmth and safety, doubt and cold took their place.  

"I should go back to bed," Marinette said, abandoning her spot. "Make sure you tuck yourself well."

He kept silent for a moment before speaking, trying to swallow the painful knot that were now his vocal chords. He repeated a phrase she was sure to have heard before, in another circumstance, as he heard her feet softly padding against the carpet. "How much longer are we going to pretend, Marinette?"

Tears welled up in her eyes as she closed the door.  What a coward she was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *hands you virtual tissues* sorry not sorry? :P


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I throw you a bone, sorta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all can stop crying now. Welcome to the love square landfill.  
> Seriously tho, guuuuys! I NEVER THOUGHT CHAPTER 6 WOULD MESS YOU UP SO BADLY! I mean yeah, I knew it was bad but not THAT bad, you know?  
> But rest assured, you have reached safe waters. For now.  
> Enjoy.
> 
> I also want to give a big shout out to my lovely friends at Tumblr, nana-princess and chaton-and-bugaboo for spoiling me with fanart for the fic and so much support! Go give them some love!
> 
> http://chaton-et-bugaboo.tumblr.com/post/143328808462/a-doodle-of-the-poor-cat-son-who-just-needs-some  
> http://nana-princess.tumblr.com/post/142363964484/miraculous-ladybug-babies-looking-at-the-fireworks  
> http://nana-princess.tumblr.com/post/143325298634/another-piece-of-art-based-on

Adrien dreaded the morning. He didn't have a plan on how to be around Marinette and if he didn't manage to keep his cool, it'd be evident to Alya and Nino that something was wrong. And while yes, both were his friends, having them getting involved in this weird… revelation-make up-argument process that was going on between them was the last thing he needed. All he wanted to do was to sort his thoughts out.

Marinette didn't know, but the way she reacted last night hurt him worse than any hit he took in the accident. He was more confused than ever. Why did she reply like that? Why didn't she play along? Maybe she didn't like the way he kissed her, or maybe she just didn't like him at all. Maybe she wasn't Ladybug in the first place.

He pulled the covers over his head, feeling how tears welled up in his eyes yet again.

He sniffed trying to be quiet so as to not disturb Plagg. Unbeknownst to him, Plagg was entirely aware of the fact that Adrien did not get any sleep. That he spent the entire night crying.

"You okay kid?" he muttered, knowing that the other humans would be waking up soon.

Adrien buried his face on his pillow.

Plagg patted his damp cheek with one of his tiny paws.

"You said we were meant to be," he said between sobs. 

Plagg sighed, feeling heavy with guilt. "Not always…" he said. "But in her defense, you weren't exactly being clear."

"I kissed her, Plagg. What else am I supposed to do?"

"Reveal," Plagg said.

As he was about to ask how, Adrien heard Nino's rattling as he opened the door.

"Hey dude! You awake?"

Adrien froze in place and shut his eyes.

"Adrien, bro?" Nino poked him. "Huh."

Nino knocked on the girls' door, whom received him already dressed and ready for the day.

"Adrien's knock-out dead over there," Nino said with a hint of worry. "I think we should stay, it's only one day."

The girls nodded, and although Marinette was conscious staying to watch over Adrien's recovering back--and cold-- was the only reasonable way to spend the day, it still put her on an edge. She felt horrible. Terrified. Confused. And most of all, scared. She was scared because if Adrien didn't hate her before, what she did last night would surely break any semblance of friendship they had.

Chat Noir, she thought. Chat Noir must hate me.

She could actually feel her heart break at the thought of that.

"You okay Mari?" Nino asked, noticing her eyes were crystalline with emotion.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said laughing and blinking back the tears. "I think I got an allergy or something. Alya and I were talking about going downstairs to grab some food for everyone, do you want anything in particular?"

Nino shrugged. "Eh, surprise me."

Marinette rushed Alya out the room before Adrien could wake up, sighing with relief once they were in the hallway.

Alya eyed her friend with skepticism but knew better than to try her traditional methods of making Marinette spill. This was something else, she noticed. This was serious.

"You okay, Mari?" Alya asked as they descended on the elevator.

She nodded.

"Because if there's anything you want to talk about, you know I'm here, right?" Alya reached for her shoulder. "I don't care what it is, my lips are sealed, promise. Those two won't hear a word."

Marinette tried to smile back and show gratefulness for Alya, but instead she dropped her head and fixed her eyes on the ground.

"I'm terrible." Before she knew it, tears started rolling out.

"Whoah, girl. It's okay, it's okay."

"No, it's not. Because Adrien will hate me now!"

Okay, so this called for some desperate measures. Alya looked around and pulled Marinette towards the chairs in the pool area, luckily still empty because of how early it was.

"Alright. Tell me what happened."

"He kissed me last night," she sobbed. "I woke up because he was having a coughing fit and I went to check on him and-- and we talked and then he kissed me but then I ran away! I'm so stupid Alya. I don't know why I'm so scared. I just… I don't want Adrien to hate me."

"Oh, girl." Alya shook her head and hugged her friend. "Mari, remember all those talks we've had about the dangers of idolizing Adrien?"

She nodded.

"Not gonna say I told you so, but… well… I think you can start by not treating him like he put the stars in the sky. He doesn't bite. It's not like he's going to kill you or anything. And if he kissed you, then that's good news, isn't it? That means he likes you the way you like him. No need to sweat it!"

Marinette sniffed. "He hates me, I'm sure."

Alya laughed. "This is Sunshine we're talking about, Marinette. That guy couldn't hate Hawkmoth if he tried. Apologizing to him, on the other hand… I think that's in order. Because yeah, poor guy must be wondering what he did wrong."

Marinette wiped her tears with the back of her hand and nodded at Alya. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

She shrugged. "Eh, I have to take care of my children, don't I? Come on, crybaby, we need to find food before those two start biting on the furniture or something."

The girls went to the restaurant and grabbed sandwiches, fruit salads, and orange juice for everyone. When they went up to the room again they found a very irritated Adrien with his hands crossed across his chest, glaring at Nino.

"Oookay?" Alya said. "Dudes. Really. What is up with everyone today?"

"Don't mind him, he's just mad he didn't get his way," Nino said.

"I'm fine!"

"Yeah but bros don't go to Disney without their bros."

The girls threw Nino a puzzled glance. "We're staying, Adrien. Period."

"I don't want you guys to lose time because of me." He got up from the bed and went to Nino's room, where his suitcase was, to grab fresh clothes.

Alya opened her mouth to argue with Nino, but he shook his head. Contrary to what the girls -- and Marinette specially-- thought, Adrien was not an entire saint. Yes, he was very polite and well-mannered, respectful, calm, all that. But that was not to say he didn't have a temper sometimes. It seldom showed, because truth be told, Nino would be the first to attest to his friend's infinite patience. But Adrien could be spoiled sometimes.

"Leave him," Nino said low enough so that Adrien wouldn't hear.

Eyeing Marinette's worried expression and knowing she must have been thinking Adrien's slight irritation was her fault, she pulled Nino aside. "Hey, I know we should stay with Adrien. But I think it's best if we just leave for a while, you know? Just let him breathe. If we all stay here we'll end up ripping each other's heads by the end of the day. Trust me."

Nino glanced at Adrien as he walked past them to the shower.

"He's okay, he just needs rest. And I think a bit of fresh air for everybody else will be good."

"Marinette won't like it," Nino said.

"I got it covered."

After Adrien emerged from the shower, they announced they'd be going to Animal Kingdom after all. Adrien seemed relieved. In part because he'd have the time and solitude he needed to figure out what to make of Marinette's reaction and in part because he wasn't bluffing, he really felt bad that his friends missed a day of sightseeing because he was too reckless.

As they prepared to leave, Alya noticed Marinette lingered behind on purpose.

"Well, I'm all done," she said. "I'll wait for you downstairs. Come on, Nino."

"But--."

"Come. On. Nino." She glanced at Adrien.

"Wha--oh. Oh! Right."

The room suddenly was too small, it lacked air, Marinette felt like she was choking. Adrien lingered by the frame of Nino's room, looking nowhere but to the ground. He made circles with his foot and fought the urge to sprint away.

Tikki poked Marinette's ribs as hard as she could when she heard the silence extended for far too long.

_Apologize, Marinette!_

"Adrien…"

He nodded in recognition, still not looking up.

"I-- I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have acted that way. I wasn't thinking."

Somehow, Marinette's apology managed to bring him down more, she realized. Because as she spoke, he finally looked up to her with a pained expression.

She regretted kissing him. That's what she was saying. Or at least that's what he heard.

"I'm--." She sighed and cursed under her breath. "Dammit."

_Just be honest already! You're not moving until you do it. Just look at his face, Marinette. Look what you did._

"I really like you, Adrien." She looked away. "I'm sorry if it didn't seem like it."

Her words were not enough to rescue him from doubt. He remained clutching the frame of the door as support, still evading her eyes.

She walked up to him and pulled him into a hug which he did not immediately reciprocate, but only out of surprise. She did like him! She was just scared! That's what happened. She was scared that they'd reveal their identity. She did have feelings for him.

She sighed, heartbroken because of his lack of response and let go of him. Swallowing back tears, she said, "I understand if you hate me and if you don't want to talk to me ever again. I get that but--."

"So you did like the kiss?"

"What?"

"You don't regret kissing me?"

She pouted. "Of course not. Not at all. What would make you think that? _" Stupid cat. Here I am apologizing for breaking you and the only thing you're wondering is if I like the way you kiss._

A shy smile spread across Adrien's lips and pulled her back into his arms to hug her. They sighed. This felt right. This _was_ right. It was only their heads that got in the way.

"I'm really sorry," Marinette repeated.

"It's okay," he said, burying his face on the crook of her neck.

"And… I still don't like cats," she said, trying to sound light about it.

 Adrien grumbled, prying a giggle out of her.

"I just like one cat."

Adrien squeezed her tightly. "Hmm." _So long as it's me._

Suddenly, the harmony of their embrace was disturbed. Marinette's phone buzzed with a message.

"Girl, you coming? Is everything okay?"

"It's Alya," she explained.

Adrien nodded. "Go, I don't want you to be stuck in here all day."

"I don't mind, really."

"Go, Mari. I'll be fine. Buy some souvenirs for Chat Noir, or something. Don't you have a crush on him?"

She laughed, amazed at how quickly and how naturally Adrien recovered his ability to banter with her. She just fixed her eyes on him, causing for him to blush.

"I think I like models better," she said, and with a bit of confidence she managed to summon out of sheer miracle, she pecked him on the lips.

After she left, Adrien had to plop down on the futon again. He sighed and smiled as wide as he could, the pain and doubt from earlier starting to become a memory. The type of ghost that remained after you accidentally hurt your foot with furniture.  

"You two, I swear by the freakin' Kwamis!" Plagg complained. "You two! Just wait until I get a hold of Tikki. You just wait!"

"I'm going to tell her, Plagg," he said, still looking at the ceiling, feeling as if he was floating. "Before it gets any more confusing."

"You better, because if you don't, I will. I'm friggin' tired of this. I am a GOD OF DESTRUCTION. Not some stupid matchmaker! This is ridiculous!"

"How should I do it?" He asked to no one in particular. "Oh, I know! I can take her out to dinner," he said, as he sprung from the mattress and ignoring the slight pain on his back. He paced around as he coughed. "No, no. She doesn't like it when I'm cheesy. I could write her a letter. Nah, too lame. I could--." He caught his reflection on the TV screen, with Plagg trailing behind him. He imagined himself with his leather suit, smiling cockily. He thought of all the things he loved to do and be as Chat Noir. Flirtatious. Confident. Silly. A trickster.

He snickered. "I know. Let's prank her!"

"Because that's not the worst idea ever when it comes to Ladybug," said Plagg, as he rolled his eyes.

\---

The space was nice, Marinette decided. She needed it to process things. It was not often that Chat and her had an argument, but whenever it happened space was always a good thing. It helped them think and word whatever it was that got them in a disagreement. She didn't see why it would be different with Adrien. It also was nice that Nino and Alya were bent on forgetting the events of the day before. This was Disney, after all. They were having a vacation and they were supposed to be having fun, not moping around.

Neither mentioned Adrien when Marinette finally joined them in the bus stop. In fact, they were both great sports. Marinette could see why Nino was Adrien's best friend. He was very kind and tactful about the whole thing, and managed to make her forget they even had been arguing.

The day went by noticeably calmer. They made a game out of snapping animals to each other with silly footnotes and Alya made a point of faceswapping her friends with every animal possible. Once it was well past noon Marinette even dared to snap Adrien, too. It was a peace offering of sorts.

She took a picture of a black panther lazily sunbathing on a rock.

"Hate cats."

Adrien smiled to himself and looked for a picture of Chat Noir on the Ladyblog in his computer. "riiiiiiiiight."

She giggled.

Another snap. The small table next to the futon was covered with wrappings of assorted treats: chips, soda cans, pastries…

"diet goals."

She took a picture of a ladybug that conveniently had landed on the railing of the rhino exhibit they were browsing.

"should I squash it?"

"DDD':"

Then it was a picture of Alya and Nino holding hands without noticing Marinette was watching. "( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)"

"so gross ew."

"ikr?"

"can you imagine being so cheesy? How can they??"

Marinette laughed.

"How's Animal Kingdom so far though?"

"It's nice. We went onto the Everest ride and the It's Tough to Be A Bug one. How are you feeling?"

"Better :)"

"^_^"

"hey uh… can I ask you for a favor?"

She felt her heart skip a beat but forced herself to answer. "sure."

"Can I borrow your blanket? The knitted one? :$"

She sighed. False alarm. "Of course ^_^ It's in the room, inside my backpack."

"thanks. I'm going to drop the phone for a while, I feel like taking a nap :P"

"lazy kitty."

":P"

Adrien smiled contently to himself and disposed to go to the girls' room to find Marinette's blanket. He didn't really need it, but he didn't want to tell Marinette the real reason he asked for it was because he missed her. That would be lame.

"Ohh, it smells so nice in here," Plagg commented, swooshing past Adrien as he opened the door.

"Don't. touch. anything," he warned. "I mean it, Plagg."

He gingerly picked Alya's things from on top of Marinette's and tried not to disorder them as he looked for the blanket.

"Does she have anything to eat in there?" Plagg wondered, ignoring Adrien's warning and plunging into Marinette's travelling backpack.

"Plagg! Get out from there!"

In his haste to grab the blanket and Plagg, Adrien accidentally knocked the backpack and spewed its contents.

"Plagg, come back here!"

The tiny feline god laughed mischievously as he flew around the room with Adrien unable to catch him fast enough. "Come back here you mangy cat! Plagg, I'm not playing! Come ba--."

_Crack!_

He winced, knowing he was the reason behind that sound of something breaking. He lifted his foot to find a wooden box, a very familiar wooden box, broken at the hinge. His stomach dropped and felt color leaving his face.

"Oh no… oh no oh no oh no! SHIT. PLAGG!" He moaned. "PLAGG! THAT'S-- THAT'S THE BOX. OH MY GOD. THAT'S THE BOX!"

More incoherent sounds left him as he paced around the room. He didn't even dare to look at the thing. "Ahhhh she's Ladybug. She totally is Ladybug." He wanted to crawl into a hole or something.

"What's the fuzz about? You already knew that," Plagg commented, licking one of Marinette's lipsticks. It tasted nice.

His voice cracked and snatched the lipstick from him. "I _suspected_! I didn't have the evidence! Oh no, oh no! Marinette _is_ Ladybug!"

"And you broke her earring box," Plagg noted. "She's gonna think you were snooping through her things."

But it's not like Plagg planned for it or anything. No, he was a good little cat. He didn't prank people like that.

Adrien gulped.

"Shitshitshit!" He kneeled down to put back all the contents in the bag and gingerly picked the two halves of the jewelry box.

Plagg snickered. "You don't even need the Cataclysm to wreck stuff."

Adrien glared at him. "It's not funny."

He tried to stick the pieces together and figure out a way to fix the hinge, but it was useless. It would need a replacement. That much he figured.

He gasped in enlightenment and ran to the other room. He completely emptied his luggage, desperately scrambling his belongings. "Please, please, please be here. Please."

He sighed in relief when his fingers finally came across the carved wood of his own box and exclaimed, "Aha!"

He opened it and tried to replace the little cushion with Marinette's.

"If you keep pulling it like that you're going to break that part, too."

"Don't be ridiculous, I know what I'm--."

_Crack!_

"Doing."

The cushion where the earrings should rest came off.

He rubbed his face, feeling sick. "She's going to kill me! Plagg, what do I do? She's going to figure it out!"

"Wasn't that what you wanted? It's the perfect prank."

He glared at him. "You little--."

He heard the voice of his friends bubbling from the end side of the hallway.

"No!"

He scrambled to shove his things back into his suitcase along with Marinette's Miraculous box and sprinted to replace hers with his own in her backpack.  He ran back to the futon just in time before they opened the door.

"We're back!" Alya announced.

"Hey…" he said, trying to hide the fact he was panting. "You're back early."

"Nah, they close at five," Nino said, collapsing next to him on the futon. "The girls wanted to swim, too. So there's that. How are ya feeling, bro?"

 "Much better, thanks," he said with a smile.

"Alya, did you grab my sunscreen?" Adrien heard Marinette ask from the girls' room.

"It's in your backpack."

Adrien tensed up. _Please don't grab the Miraculous box. Please don't grab the Miraculous box!_

"Found it!"

Minutes later the girls emerged with their swimsuits. Marinette had her hair in a single bun and sported a black bikini with green dots, no wait, paws? They were tiny cat paws. Sweet Kwamis, someone help Adrien Agreste. She was wearing a Chat Noir themed bathing suit.

**_FUCK._ ** _Oh my god. Oh my actual god._

"You guys coming?" Alya asked.

Adrien practically tripped over himself to grab his own bathing suit. In less than three minutes he had changed and was ready to go.

"Hurry up Nino," he said. He was actually considering waiting for him down in the pool. He needed a splash of cold water to get over the picture of Marinette and her Chat Noir bikini, or else things would get… hard, to put it decently.

After promising Marinette a hundred times that he wouldn't swim into the deeper part of the pool, he finally convinced her and the others of joining them in the water. To his dismay, he realized the water did little to calm the fever that spread across his body, stirred by Marinette's oblivious seduction.

It was the fault of that stupid box. Why did he have to find out now, why?

_Ladybug. Wearing a Chat Noir themed bikini. HOLY SH--Did she just wink at me?! Yes, she did._

_YOU'RE DOING IT ON PURPOSE, LADYBUG!_

_Ugh, no. Think of something else._

_Think of Hawkmoth! Hawkmoth in a bikini._

_Ew._

The image was grotesque, but it worked.

"Look alive, Sunshine!" Alya said, as she splashed him. His bangs covered his eyes and did not look too pleased to be soaking.

 _You ARE an actual cat, Adrien._ Marinette thought, amused at his evident annoyance when Alya splashed him again. She knew what her friend was getting at. Alya always teased Adrien about how correct he was all the time. Never shouted, never went wild. Except when she got on his nerves. She could count with her hands the times Alya had successfully made Adrien laugh at the top of his lungs, or made him yell in frustration. But it was always fun to witness.

"Real mature Al--." SPLASH.

"Can't hear you over the sound of you being boring!"

"I'm not going to--." Splash! He coughed, it was Nino this time. 

"Bo-ring!"

"It's gonna take more than that to make me--" Splash! He turned to his right with this half insulted, half amused expression to identify the culprit of his latest victimization.

"Boring!" Marinette said, sticking her tongue out at him, laughing.

He smirked. "Oh, that does it, miss," he said, and pounced in pursuit of Marinette and Alya who squealed as they swam away from him. 

He managed to separate Marinette from the others and corner her against the edge of the pool. "Adrien-- Adrien no." She splashed him, hoping to gain some sort of advantage. But by now he didn't care if his hair was dripping wet. He simply pushed his bangs aside and let this mischievous smirk on his face. She knew that smirk well enough to know that no innocent deed followed after it.

"Adrien…" She laughed. "Adrien, no. Bad kit--ah!"

"Gotcha!"

She squirmed as he trapped her in his arms. "No!" She laughed, hoping he didn't notice how ticklish she was. Some wishful thinking on her part, because he noticed immediately.

"Ticklish, are we?"

She gulped. "Adrien."

"Marinette." _Ladybug._

"Eek! No-- ah!"

Adrien couldn't help but laugh delighted at his lady's own uncontrollable laughs as he attacked her with tickling fingers.

"Nooo!" she squealed. "Adrieeeeeennn!"

It was just too good to stop, he didn't want her laugh to leave him.

"Adri--!"

"Ow!" Don't ask her how, but she accidentally managed to punch him in the face.  And well, this _was_ Ladybug so it wasn't a light kind of punch. "Ow…"

"Oh my gosh, Adrien I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" She fuzzed over him as he clutched his nose.

"'M fine, 'm fine," he said with a muffled voice, still chuckling. "Dang, you have a good left punch!"

She glowed in bright red and replied with a tiny voice, "Sorry!"

Just as they locked glances, just as they began gravitating towards each other, another tsunami swallowed them whole.

"Boring!" Nino and Alya exclaimed.

Adrien and Marinette sneaked smug glances at each other. One thing you never do: mess with Ladybug and Chat Noir. They couldn't really blame them for not knowing, though. But of course, that didn't mean they would let them off easy.

Nino practically jumped onto Alya's arms.

"STO--" Cough, cough! 

Mari and Adrien snickered.

"Who's boring now?" Marinette asked.

"YOU PAIR OF SAVAGES!" he cried.

" _Water_ you talking about?"

Marinette had to stop to look and him long and hard.

"What?"

"This is why you can never have nice things, Adrien." _Chat, what even._ She couldn't help but chuckle, though.

"You still laughed, didn't you?" he said, winking at her.

It only took that moment of distraction to let Alya and Nino come back at them with more blinding splashes. Eventually, their little showdown turned into a pool fight. Alya climbed onto Nino's back, and Marinette convinced Adrien to climb onto hers-- no way she was going to climb on him with his back hurt. In retrospect, he shouldn’t even be playing, but Adrien made the most of the fact that Mari did not pay attention to that.

_I'm on top of Ladybug…_

_Probably not the best way to phrase this._

"Woah, Mari," Nino noted at the effortless way in which she carried Adrien on her shoulders, while also maintaining her balance. "You sure you don't want to switch?"

Mari smirked, "What, you mean this twig?"

"Hey!"

To Alya's benefit-- and Marinette's frustrated, "Don't go easy on her!"-- he let Alya and Nino win the match, which only resulted on Marinette and him collapsing onto the water.

The next time it was Marinette and Alya versus the boys-- Marinette versus Adrien, and it was Nino who buckled down this time.

"Alright!" Alya exclaimed, while doing a little victory dance with Marinette.

"Psht. That was just luck," Nino said.

"Yeah, just good luck," Adrien seconded.

"Or you know, maybe you just have really, really bad luck," Marinette said. "And also suck."

Adrien laughed.

"Two out of three, losers, come on!" Alya cheered, splashing her friends and climbing onto Mari's shoulders.

"Bro?" Nino said as Adrien climbed up.

"Yeah?"

"Finish them," he said somberly.

"You got it." Confidently, he added to the girls, "Losers pay for dinner."

Them. It was them. They were going to pay for dinner. Because they lost.

Adrien didn't even know how it happened. But if he was honest with himself, it may or may not have to do with the fact that he noticed what a perfect angle he had of Marinette's cleavage from on top of Nino's shoulders.

 _What the hell is wrong with me_? He thought.

Four years of pent up, frustratingly unrequited attraction that suddenly were entirely valid, he suspected. And not just they were valid, but reciprocal, it so seemed.

"Double or nothing," Nino said as he beckoned Adrien to climb up again.

The lifeguard in duty, however, did not share their idea. He was a teenager no older than them, but it was evident he was having a miserable time watching over toddlers and a berserk group of European teenagers.

"You four, out! Out! No pool fights allowed!" He blew on his whistle at the top of his lungs. "I've been watching you, come on, come on, before you squash a kid or something."

The four stayed put, looking confused.

"This is the type of person that would totally get akumatized," Alya commented in French.

"I said out! Don't make me call security!"

"Totally," Adrien agreed.

The quartet complied and got out of the pool, burying the young lifeguard with sheepish smiles and "Désolé, nous ne savions pas."

They picked up their things and settled in the sun chairs to wind down and dry. Marinette was towel-drying her unfortunately loose hair when she noticed something absolutely terrible.

She gasped. For a second, the other three thought she was in some sort of pain.

"What's wrong?" Alya asked.

"My earring!" She said on the verge of tears. "My left earring is missing!" She scrambled everything, including her friends' belongings, looking for the elusive little thing.

"Oh no!" she moaned, having no luck.

_Calm down Marinette, calm down. It has to be here somewhere._

She couldn't help but tremble as she browsed the floor.

"Relax girl," Alya said, a bit confused at her friend's reaction. It was only a pair of earrings after all. "I'll get you a new pair," she offered.

"No, these… these are a family heirloom. My parents are going to kill me!" _Tikki. Tikki is going to kill me._

Adrien joined the search, just as terrified. Having misplaced the ring a couple times --not that he'd ever admit it-- he knew what a nerve-wracking situation that was. 

"Did you have them on when you went into the pool?" he asked.

She nodded. Without delay, he jumped in.

The lifeguard blew his whistle again and approached the group. "Tell your friend to get out!"

"She lost something," Alya explained in her broken English. "It's important."

"You should have thought of that before causing trouble."

Adrien emerged, shaking his head at Marinette.

She jumped in, too.

"You, OUT!"

"It's really important!" Marinette pleaded right before submerging with Adrien.

She could hear her pulse thumping. Her thoughts were only scenarios of all the terrible things that would happen if she didn't manage to find the earring. No more Ladybug. Chat Noir would have to fight akumas alone. Not to mention there wouldn't be anyone to cleanse them. Oh, and she could already hear the lengthy, well-deserved lecture from Master Fu.

She wanted to cry.

Adrien signaled up. They gasped to fill up their lungs.

"Relax, we're going to find it. It has to be here."

"What if it isn't?" she asked, a few tears rolling down her cheeks.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked squarely into her eyes. "I'll go to the opposite end, you keep looking here, okay? We'll find it. Trust me."

"Okay."

There wasn't a time in Marinette's life when she felt as relieved as when she finally spotted the shiny crystal of the earring glinting back at her. It was innocently laying on the deepest part of the pool, unharmed, untouched. She resurfaced once for air and immediately plunged down to fetch it.

She even forgot to tell Adrien she found it on her way out of the pool.

"I found it," she said to Alya and Nino, still breathless. "I'll be right back, I'm going to put these away," she said, unclipping the other earring from her lobe and grabbing the little purse where Tikki always hid. She didn't even care to dry herself, earning herself a couple of puzzled looks as she walked to the elevator.

"Marinette!" she scolded her wielder, making the most of the privacy.

"I know, Tikki! I'm sorry!"

"You have to be more careful, it was a very close call."

Marinette covered her face with her hands.

"You know you can't transform with only one earring."

She sighed and talked with a muffled voice through her hands. "Yes, I know. I'll put them away. There won't be any akumas here, and hopefully no more park accidents."

Tikki nodded.

"You won't disappear, will you?" Marinette said, longingly.

Tikki giggled and flew around her. "Not if you don't want me to."

"Good."

Back in the pool, Adrien was still desperately combing its floor. He resurfaced yet again for more air and to blink back the chlorine that slowly tormented his eyes.

"Adrien!" Alya called from the edge. "Marinette found it."

He sighed with relief. "Oh good." Noticing she wasn't anywhere to be found, he said, "Where is she?"

"She went upstairs to take them off."

The implications of what that meant almost came to him too late. Almost.

He sprung out of the water, only giving himself time to fetch his satchel, and raced to the elevator.

"What's with him?" Alya asked Nino.

He shrugged. "You get used to it after a while."

"Tell me about it." Alya had her own share of craziness in dealing with some of Marinette's reactions.

\---

"This is bad, this is so bad," he muttered as he raced down the hallway and opened the door to their room.

"Adrien?" Marinette looked surprised. He found her drinking a glass of water.

He gulped.

"What are you doing here?"

She didn't seemed fazed or anything, so that was a good sign. No secret identities spoiled yet.

"Wha-what are you doing here?" he asked too.

She quirked an eyebrow at him as she dumped the glass on the kitchenette's tiny sink. "I came to put my earrings away."

She walked to the room, closely followed by Adrien.

"I don't think that's such a great idea!" he more or less shouted, blocking her way to the room.

"What?"

"I-- they look good on you! You should put them on!"

"Thank you, but I think they'll be safer if I just keep them away. I'll get in a lot of trouble if I lose them."

They stood in silence for a moment, Adrien sweating cold.

"Um, would you let me through?"

"Su-sure."

"Thanks."

He bit his knuckle as Marinette browsed through her backpack, strategically with her back against him so he wouldn't see the box when she pulled it out.

His hands ached with anxiety.

_No, no, no, no!_

There it was, the wooden culprit.

"Ah! Are you sure you don't want to wear them?" he insisted, promptly approaching her, and desperate enough that he might as well snatch it and throw it into the mangroves.

She sneaked at suspicious glance at him. "Yes, I am sure."

"Oh, okay. I'll uh… I'll um-- go for some water."

"O…kay?"

He paced around the living room hoping to dig a hole and hide in it forever. It was quiet. So very quiet. Only a couple of seconds before she noticed.

Marinette popped the box's lid open and at first, she didn't find anything particular. Until she tried to clip the earrings back into the soft cushion and discovered it was carved to fit a ring, not earrings.

_Huh, that's odd. Why would--_

She stopped mid-thought. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. She couldn't scream.

A ring. This was the Cat's Ring's box. She didn't wield the cat's Miraculous. Chat Noir did. And Chat Noir was in Disney, too. And… and… It wasn't Nino, nope. Obviously not Alya.

It was…

She gasped, with a shocked scream trapped in her throat.

She wailed in realization. Then the wail turned into a moan. A whimper. A cry. A scream. 

 _That's your cue,_ Adrien thought.

"AHH!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, dropping the box as if it were made of magma.

Adrien came into the room, only to add onto Marinette's hysteria. She screamed even louder.

"Yo--YOU!" She ran out of voice. "It's _you!"_

She walked back as he approached.

"Purrprise?"

Oh no, he didn't just make a pun. "REALLY? A PUN?" She exclaimed with the acutest tone she could produce. "Ah! It's you. It is you. You… oh no. You're Adrien. Adrien Agreste."

"Yep, that's my name," he said, patiently as she walked like a caged cat around the room.

"A--and the ring. You have the ring."

He lifted up his right hand. "Yep, always wear it."

"Ahhh!" Another batch of incoherent sounds came out from her. "This… ah… it _is_ you. Ah. No, you can't be. Chat's a dork! You… you're you! You're not a dork!"

"Well, thanks, I guess?"

She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. "No… this is… ah!"

He sighed, more demotivated as Marinette's reaction escalated into what seemed like disappointment.

"Plagg," he muttered. "Claws out."

Marinette sensed the flash of green light and his leather-covered hands as he gently tried to reveal her expression. He looked  straight into her eyes, trying not to appear too hurt at her evidently negative reaction.

Not knowing what else to do, she sprinted into the bathroom and locked the door to catch her breath.

Okay, so Adrien really was Chat Noir. Okay.

_Breathe Marinette. You can't really say it's an entire surprise. I mean yeah, I had my suspicions but I never really expected them to turn out to be true! Oh my gosh, Adrien is Chat. He really is Chat._

And she couldn't decide how to feel. Shocked? Yeah. Scared? Positively. But also, slowly, surely, better emotions spread across her chest. Like relief, joy, and an unexpectedly powerful wave of affection for Chat Noir. Adrien too, but mostly Chat Noir.

"I'm sorry you're disappointed," she heard him say from the opposite side of the door. His voice denoted an unbelievable sadness. "But I just… I needed to tell you, okay?" His voice cracked and after a long silence he added, "I couldn't take it anymore. Especially after last night. I understand if you want to keep your distance from now on, but I just wanted you to know that…" He sighed. "I fell in love with you from the moment I met you, Ladybug. Not with the suit, with the girl behind the mask." Somehow a laugh escaped him, among his sniffing. "I know you don't really like Chat but I thought since you liked Adrien… maybe if you knew… I'm sorry, Marinette."

Marinette was crying by this point, too. She didn't mean to run away. It was just the shock. But to think things were being misinterpreted again because of her volatile ways fed her up. She clutched her earrings and looked at her reflection. _No more,_ she thought as she put the jewels on.  _Adrien-- Chat-- deserves better._  

She opened the door and met with Adrien's splotchy face underneath Chat Noir's mask.

"I'm--"

"Tikki, Spots On."

Red engulfed the room for a fraction of a second, before revealing Chat's very own Lady.

Before he could say anything, she tackled him into a hug. "I'm so glad it's you!" she said, trying not to sob. She snuggled against his damp cheeks. "I'm so, so sorry Chat!"

He hugged her as tightly as he could, fearing she might escape in any second.

"Why did you run away?" he asked softly. "Again, I might add."

"I didn't mean to confuse you," she blabbered. "I was just… I was scared." She squeezed him, forgetting about his ailing back. "Because I've had a crush on you for so long, but then I started to realize I really did love you, but then you started noticing me, and I just… I was scared."

He laughed. "Funnily enough, I know exactly when you're talking about me, Chat and me, Adrien."

She laughed breathily. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," he said, petting her damp hair. "Just… please, m'lady, don't leave me hanging like that anymore. I can only take so much."

She nodded. "Okay."

Catching drift of what she just said, his heart skipped a beat and allowed himself to smirk. "So… you just said you love me?"

She sniffed, and felt how her heartbeat accelerated at the excitement in his voice. "Of course I do, silly cat."

"So… you totally are a cat person now."

She couldn't help but laugh. "Oh my god, Chat."

"You are!"

She rolled her eyes and remitted to hug him in silence, delighting in the incredible safety of his arms, his heartbeat. She dissipated the quiet moments after, as her head still was tying loose ends.

She laughed, much to Chat Noir's confusion.

"I'm so freaking stupid," she said. "I've been crushing on the same freakin' person."

He chuckled. "It's not as stupid as never realizing the love of your life literally sat behind you in school for four years."

"Or the fact that your superhero crush lost interest in you because he was interested in your civilian alter ego."

"Or, you know, vice versa."

"Oh my god!," he exclaimed, growling in exasperation.

"What?"

"That stupid fun-size cat! He never told me! It was you, it literally was you this entire time and Plagg never told me!"

She gasped. "Tikki!"

As if on cue, both kwamis detransformed their wielders, leaving them back in their swimming clothes. Adrien tried not to focus on the bikini again, though.

"Plagg!" Tikki exclaimed in joy.

"Tikki!" He responded, allegedly happier than Adrien had ever seen him.

They looked really cute, hugging and floating around each other. As he caught sight of Adrien, his sentiment suddenly changed.

"I swear to the kwamis, Tikki. If I have to deal with another cat as lovesick as this freakin' fly sack, I swear, I'm not transforming them anymore!"

Tikki giggled.

"This is all your bugs' fault. You let them go on and on and on."

"You know the rules, Plagg!"

"Bah, I don't care about the rules. I wish you had to spend an hour with this kid. You'd see what I'm talking about."

"Hey!" Adrien complained.

"Don't listen to him, Adrien. He's just an old, grumpy cat." She floated up to him and did a little bow. "It's really nice to meet you officially," she said, sneaking a glance at Marinette. "I'm Tikki! The god of creation!"

"Nice to meet you, mini lady," he said, bowing with grandeur. "And why officially?"

"Oh no reason, just Marinette's collection of pictures of you in her room."

"TIKKI!"

He smirked. "Oh really?"

"No, don't listen to her!"

"Her whole room is plastered with your face."

Marinette wailed. "Tikki!"

He looked smugly at her and winked. She was redder than the tiny floating bug.

"Don't act so cocky," Plagg intervened. "He has a collection of Ladybug photos. And ugh, if you just read those horrible poems."

"Poems?" Marinette giggled.

Contrary to Marinette's reaction, and although he was also burning in red, he did not deny anything. "Guilty as charged." He swiftly pulled her into his arms and dipped her. "What can I say, my lady? You inspire me."

She snorted but pulled him into a kiss… that never happened because Plagg promptly interrupted them, earning himself some death glares from Adrien.

"Yeah, bite me," Plagg said.

"I presume you must be Plagg," Marinette said giggling at Adrien's irritation with the tiny cat.

Batting a paw at him in dismiss, he said, "That would be correct."

"You're the kwami of destruction," she noted. "And you smell like Camembert-- oh! That's why you smell like cheese!" Marinette said to Adrien.

He flushed, embarrassed. "I told you someone ought to notice, Plagg."

"Big deal, it's just your girlfriend."

They looked at each other, laughing nervously.

"Heh…" Marinette gulped.

"Yeah, I guess my secret is safe with her," he said with the brightest, widest smile ever.

"Speaking of cheese," Plagg said, flying in between them, interrupting yet another kiss.

Adrien sighed. "Do. You. Mind?"

"I'm hungry. Feed me."

"Plagg!" Tikki scolded him. "Don't be rude!"

Adrien knew better than to argue though, and immediately went to fetch a pack of Camembert for him. He tossed it onto the bed. "There. Now stop bugging-- no pun intended," he said to Tikki.

Marinette laughed and petted Plagg's head as he ate. He purred. "You know, my dad makes Camembert quiches in the bakery."

Plagg's eyes shined with longing. "Ca-Camembert quiches?"

"Mmhm!"

He looked at Adrien. "Give her the ring. I want her to be Chat Noir. You'll be Chat Noir now."

"Plagg!" Tikki and Adrien scolded him while Marinette simply giggled.

"You're a silly kitty."

He purred. "Oh, yes. Behind the ear. That's the spot! She likes me better than you," he teased Adrien.

Adrien crossed his arms and pouted. "That's enough, that's enough." He scooped her away and pulled her onto his lap.

"Jealous, are we?"

"Ha. Ha."

Ensured by this exhilarating new clarity between them, Marinette kissed his nose and then snuggled against his chest. "You shouldn't be, mon minou."

He sighed.

"They're so cute together!" Tikki said to Plagg, who was more than determined to ignore the sickeningly sweet scene. "I knew they'd come around."

From the corner of her eye, Marinette notice Adrien's Miraculous box still lying where she dropped it.

"By the way," she said, breaking their embrace, much to Adrien's disappointment. She lifted the box and quirked an eyebrow at him. "Elaborate."

"It was Plagg's fault!" He said quickly. "I was just looking for your blanket and then Plagg was being naughty and got into your backpack to look for food-- he licked your pink lipstick by the way-- and I was just trying to get him out of there, so I accidentally knocked the backpack and I was chasing Plagg and then…" he shrunk in shame. "I may or may not need a new hinge to repair your box, heh."

"You stepped on it?"

He nodded.

"Sorry. I'm so sorry! I'll repair it as soon as we're back. I promise m'lady, I do-- why are you laughing?"

"It's just a silly box, Adrien. It's okay."

"Don't let Fu hear you say that."

She went back to his arms and nestled in silence, enjoying the sensation of Adrien's body relaxing. He rested his head on hers and kissed her several times, not having enough of how soft her hair felt.

"I'm so happy it's you," Adrien muttered, squeezing her lightly. "You have no idea, my lady."

She squirmed at the sensation of his lips brushing her neck. "I think I may have an idea," she said, contently feeling the bare skin of his chest.

"I mean," he continued. "It's you! You're Ladybug! You're Marinette and ah! Finally!" He chuckled. "Sorry, I've been waiting for this for so long that I guess I can't really control how excited I am."

"Me too." She blushed. "I mean, ever since that time with the umbrella…"

"The umbrella?"

"Yeah, in lycée, remember? Your first day of school? It was raining and you apologized to me about the gum on my seat-- which wasn't even your fault, anyway! And you gave me your umbrella so I could walk home. I remember I felt horrible for judging you, and I was awestruck at how kind you were. And I just… I fell."

He felt touched at the clarity with which Marinette remembered that day. "I-- I never thought you'd still remember that."

"I still have it, you know? The umbrella."

"My lady…"

She gave him a smile that stole his breath away.

"I remember I was so happy that day," he said. "Because I made friends with you. And then that very same day I met Ladybug, my partner…" He chuckled to himself. "I'm lucky that way, I guess."

"What do you mean?"

"I fell in love with my best friend without even knowing."

He gently pushed her hair from her face so he could lock his eyes with hers. Marinette was hypnotized by his glance, that warm, infinitely kind glance that made her fall in love in the first place.

"You want to know how I fell for you?"

Marinette nodded, smiling innocently.

"I remember you were so worried that you weren't cut out to be a superhero. And then I encouraged you, right? But no one had ever listened to me before. And you did. You believed in me. And then, you were so… badass! And brave, and resourceful, and clever…" He laughed. "I was a goner. To be honest, the more we fought together, the more I wondered why you ever doubted that you could be a superhero. You barely ever need me!"

"That's not true, chaton," Marinette intervened. "I wouldn't be Ladybug if you hadn't believed in me first."

Adrien widened his eyes.

"It's true, you know? I didn't want to be Ladybug. But you trusted me, and you barely knew me! Despite the fact that I messed up bad, you really did think I could beat Stoneheart." She snuggled against him. "We're the cat and bug team."

He chuckled. "Don't you mean bug and cat?"

She shrugged. "Same difference."

He leaned in slowly to kiss her, enjoying every second, the anticipation, the sensation of Marinette snaking her hands up to his neck. He could feel her breath, his nose brushed against her skin, inches, bare inches--

KNOCK KNOCK!

Adrien sighed with frustration. Now what? Can't a guy kiss the love of his life in peace? He's been waiting four years! 

"Yo, open the door! You two ran off with the room cards!"

It was Nino.

"I'm going to kill him."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next stop, EPCOT AND MORE LANDFILL YEAH.  
> So if you guys have any requests or ideas for the EPCOT chapter, I'm all ears!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> GREETINGS FROM THE TRASH CAN!  
> (i know i said the next stop was epcot but i lied, it was the trashcan again)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooooo, I know, I know, long time no see. But ugh you wouldn't believe the beast of a writer's block I had with this stupid fic. I ran out of steam too fast too soon and I was having trouble deciding where I'd take the plot so I took some time off and in the meantime I wrote a one shot about Adrien getting drunk and started a slowburner about the Miraculous wielders. Talk about procrastination, right?  
> Either way, I am back and ready to roll! I can't promise steady updates right now mainly because now I have two fics to work on in addition to the fact I'm moving to Denmark soon for my master's and there's just a shitton of shit I need to take care of before that happens. Also I'm like, supposed to be looking at potential thesis topics and studying math, looking for a job and stuff since I'm broke and I'm working against the clock here, so it's kind of a stressful moment for me right now. There's a lot going on right now, so best case scenario I'll be updating every other week, every three weeks, or even monthly until further notice.  
> Thanks for sticking around with this fic guys, I'm so happy you enjoy it, you don't even know. Reading your comments and reactions to it here and in Tumblr make my day and they're such a good break from all the stress I'm dealing with right now. So thanks <3

Marinette tossed around the bed trying to overcome the torrid atmosphere. Turned out letting Adrien join them in the pool only resulted in accelerating the cold he caught. The day ended with him running a mild fever and a congested nose that made him talk funny. That meant they would have to set their thermostat to a warm 25 degrees Celsius, which wasn't much problem for the boys given that they were sleeping alone. But Marinette just couldn't find a comfortable position, nor an effective way to regulate her temperature lying next to Alya.

She sighed and opened her eyes. She wasn't kidding anyone by pretending to be asleep.

Exasperated, she pushed the covers off from her and sat up, cringing at the sensation of her sweat-damped pajamas.

"This is not working," she whispered to herself. "Tikki, Tikki are you asleep?"

"Mmh? What is it Marinette?" said the tiny god as she poked out from Marinette's purse, which she kept by her pillow.

"I was wondering if we could go out for some air. It's too hot in here and I just… I need to relax a bit."

Tikki nodded with a knowing smile. She was proud of Marinette, of Adrien, too. Today had been a big day in their lives and things would change, it was only natural that the girl would be a little unsettled.

"Okay."

"Thank you." Marinette climbed off the bed, careful not to disturb Alya as she walked out of the room, and much more careful to not disturb Adrien and Plagg on her way out.

"Spot on!" She whispered, and welcomed the flurry of transformative magic that enveloped her body.

Comforted by the familiarity, Marinette rode the elevator to the last floor and found the door to the roof.

There was something reassuring about perching atop a tall building while everybody slept. She found security in the fact that no one in the world knew where she was. It was just her thoughts and herself --and Tikki.

Marinette scanned the darkened sea of mangroves that surrounded the hotel, glad for a slightly less humid environment. Although if she was honest with herself, the heat was only a part of why she couldn't sleep. The other, much larger reason was lightly snoring in the room four floors below. Marinette twisted her fingers as she recalled the events of the day.  Her lungs filled with relief and a wide grin, she felt lighter, exhausted, but curiously also free and restless at the same time. Like a thousand Akuma had decided to make their home inside her stomach.

 _Adrien is Chat Noir,_ she thought with glee. And not only that, but he had unknowingly come to her vacation, too. Unknowingly, she had been crushing on Chat Noir. In her ignorance, she had hugged, and collapsed against Adrien's body multiple times. She loved Chat without knowing. She was Adrien's best friend without realizing it.

She sighed, suppressing an overwhelming impulse to squeal and giggle and dance around.

 _Chat is Adrien,_ she thought, sighing again. _And he's with me here._

They hadn't had time to really discuss what their revelation meant. Plagg mentioned she was Adrien's girlfriend, and she would be the first to jump into that particular bandwagon, but Marinette knew there still was a conversation to be had about the subject.

It wouldn't be a hard conversation by any means, but it was a very necessary one. After all, Adrien had been hinting his intentions at Marinette as soon as they got into that plane.

A muffled thud disturbed her line of thought. She smiled in advance, knowing that was the sound of someone gracefully landing behind her.

"Padon me young mademoisede, but isn't it a diddle dangerous for diddle bugs to be wandeding by demselves at dis ungodly hour of the dight? I hear dere are mean stray cats in the streets."

She smirked, only eyeing Chat Noir briefly. "This bug can take care of herself just fine, kitty cat."

He chuckled and sat next to her, letting his legs dangle on the edge of the building.

"You okay, my dady?" Chat Noir's voice sounded twangy and unexpectedly adorable because of his cold.

Marinette giggled. "Ad _you_ okay Cad?"

He frowned. "Not fuddy. I'm sedious."

"Sorry, you just…pfff-- you sound so cute!"

He pouted. "I do dot!"

She laughed. "Sorry, I can't help it!"

"My dady!" He crossed his arms across his chest to accentuate his "irritation." Truth be told, Marinette knew Chat-- Adrien-- better than anyone. He wasn't mad, he was just calling attention. And he looked utterly adorable.

"Aw, poor diddle kitty. Dey'd making fun of him!" She rubbed his back in circles as a signal of peace. After a brief silence, Marinette spoke, "You shouldn't be out here, Adrien. Your cold is going to get worse."

He huffed, still bent on keeping up his act and trying not to blush at the fact that his Lady --Marinette-- was finally calling him by his actual name. The forms of it in the song of her voice was decidedly better than any medicine money could buy.

"It's for your own good, kitty."

"I know," he moaned as he rubbed his forehead, bothered by the congested sensation. "I just wanded to clear my head for a diddle while."

Marinette nodded and pressed her lips as she smiled. "It's been… an eventful day."

Adrien snorted. "That has do be the understatement of the year."

"Okay fine, so maybe some important things happened. But just maybe."

"Yeah, of course." He nudged her gently, a gesture she promptly returned. "Maybe. Yeah, id wasn't a big deal. Id's not like I've been waiding to know who you were for four years…" He joked. "Dodally cool with that. Yep."

"Yeah, I mean, it's not like my crush of four years turned out to be my dorky partner."

"Hey!"

She grinned. "Who is also adorable and the best luck I've ever had by far." Then she pecked him on the cheek for good measure.

Trying to be seductive, Chat leaned into her with a tiny smirk, self-conscious about his runny nose and desperately wishing for a tissue. "So I guess you could say I'm your… Ducky Charm."

"Pfff!" Marinette cackled at Adrien's poor pronunciation, Chat's advance hurdling over her head. "Ducky Charm!"

He turned bright red and sniffed, no longer able to contain the overwhelming flux of his nose. He cursed  silently at himself and looked away to wipe the running tap he had stapled to his face with the back of his glove. Plagg wouldn't appreciate that much. "I didn't mean it like that, I'm sick! My dady! That was a pun!"

"The only pun that has ever made me laugh, to be honest."

"Madinette!"

She giggled. "I'm just teasing you, kitty."

"Hmm…" He wrinkled his nose, trying to prevent a sneeze that came anyway. "A- ah- ACHOO! Ugh… I'm soddy. It's just… ACHOO!…"

She rubbed his back again, trying to ease the tension of his sneezing. "I think we should head back in, Chat."

"No, no… it's okay, we can st--ACHOO!"

"No we can't," Ladybug insisted, helping her partner onto his feet.

"But we were talking."

"We can keep talking downstairs, chaton."

The promise soothed Adrien enough to give up the prospect of staying up until dawn. They usually did this sometimes after patrol if it happened on a Friday or on a three-day weekend, they'd find shelter somewhere comfy and stayed to talk about everything and nothing until their Miraculouses started beeping. Marinette always looked back fondly to those memories, but now they seemed to have an even greater meaning.

Once back in the building and detransformed, Marinette noticed she did not bring a key, which left her facing the door with her brows knitted in concentration, wondering how to proceed.

"You didn'd bring the key, did you?" Adrien chuckled, as he produced a card from the pocket of his pajama pants. "Don'd woddy, princess. I got you covered."

"My knight in shining armor." As if on cue he sneezed raucously, face contorted and hair in a mess. "Who is apparently dying, come on."

Marinette brought Adrien back to the futon against his will. She plumped the pillows so he'd lay down in a position that didn't make him cough and tucked him in bed, then brew water on the electric kettle of the kitchenette to prepare him a cup of chamomile tea.

She handed the beverage to him along with a pill of Maxilase from her first aid kit. "Drink it, but be careful, it's a bit hot."

Adrien nodded and dutifully gulped down the pill to then remit to down the rest of the brew with little sips, sighing with relief as the water vapor unclogged his respiratory system. "Can we turn down the AC? It's too warm."

"You're supposed to be sweating, chaton," Marinette said, delicately pushing back Adrien's damp bangs from his forehead.

A fuller sigh escaped his nose as he delighted in her touch. He threw his head back and relaxed, disposed to enjoy Marinette's gesture. 

"What's that?" he asked with a raspy voice and pointed at the small, green cylinder on her hand.

"It's a cold rub," Marinette said, still petting his hair. She handed it to him to ease his beckoning hands.

"It smells minty," he pointed out.

"That's the idea."

Handing the vial back to her he asked, "What is it for?"

Marinette couldn't help but frown. "You rub it on your chest and your back to help you breathe better," she explained. "…You had never seen one of these before?" There was a drop of worry in her voice.

"No."

She wasn't thinking, really, when she blurted out her next question. "Didn't your mom use it when you got sick?"

_Fuck. Ugh, MARINETTE YOU IDIOT._

She realized a fraction of a second too late.

Adrien looked down with a shy smile and Marinette instantly knew she struck a very sensitive string. Adrien never talked about his family, much less his mother. All Marinette knew both as Ladybug and herself, was that Adrien-- Chat-- had lost his mother a few years ago, and judging by the silence that overtook him every time conversation drifted into that topic, he loved and missed her very much. That was all. He never mentioned how or why she died. He never told stories of his childhood like Nino and Alya did. His answer was always the same when they touched the subject: smiling, he would say, "I just don't like to talk about it."

"I'm so sorry. You don't have to answer that. Sorry." She cursed under her breath. "I'm sorry, Adrien."

Silent, he found the hand that had suddenly jerked from his head, to intertwine it with both of his atop his stomach.

"I don't remember getting sick very often before she disappeared, but when I was little I remember she would give me spoonfuls of warm honey and lemon. She turned on a vaporizer I had… it was like a car, or something, I can't remember. She would crawl into my bed with me, and she'd sing to me until I fell asleep." His voice was soft and his eyes fixed on a point on the quilt as if to not lose himself in the nothingness.

"She disappeared when I was eleven. My dad thought I was old enough to take care of myself by then, so he'd only have Natalie fix doctor's appointments for me and I just had to follow my prescriptions. I never really thought about using remedies."

"Adrien…" Mari murmured, voice quivering. "You don't have to--."

"It's okay," he interrupted. "I want you to know."

He locked his eyes with hers, allowing Marinette to see how his mask of polite smiles wilted and dissipated. Much like Chat's façade of extravagant flirting hid the fact he truly did love Ladybug, Adrien's smile hid something heartbreaking: his loneliness, his pain. And Marinette saw. She saw all in those depths of green. The vulnerability that she sometimes managed to notice in Chat's glance but was always too scared to ask about. The pain behind that kindness.

Emotion pricked her eyes, menacing to materialize into droplets of water and salt.

She hugged him tightly instead, choosing him as the channel for the vast compassion that swelled her chest in that moment of realization.

"Adrien…" she sighed his name.

"I'm sorry," he said, voice quivering. "I'm not supposed-- I mean, I don't want you to-- it's okay, you don't have to worry, I'm fine. Can we talk about something else, please? I promise I'm fine."

She squeezed him tightly. "Liars are losers, chaton."

"I just don't want people to know… I don't want them to worry about me and I-- I don't want it to affect me, it happened, and that's it. It doesn't matter how much-- how much I cry about it that's not going to bring her back. And it's certainly not going to make my dad talk to me."

She sighed, swallowing the lump on her throat. She could swear she felt her heart shatter at the sound of Adrien's broken voice.

She gently rubbed his back, giving herself mental hell for having such a loose tongue and such a stupid brain that she blatantly walked Adrien into talking about the thing that made him hurt the most.

"I'm not people, Adrien. I'm your partner, I care about you and I worry about you, whether you want me or not."

A restrained sob escaped him as he constricted his arms around her.

"And you don't have to carry that weight alone. Not anymore, at least."

"It shouldn't be your fault that I'm so weak."

Marinette had to tear herself apart from Adrien in order to look at him squarely. "Listen to me, Adrien. I don't know where you got that idea, but it's about the stupidest thing you've ever said."

He widened his eyes in surprise.

"I don't want to hear you saying that ever again because not only it's a lie, but it couldn't be further from the truth." She brushed his cheeks with her thumbs, wiping away the tears that were now beginning to dry. "You are the strongest person I know."

He hiccupped.

"You know how I know? Because you're in pain, in more pain than any of the akuma victims we have ever fought. And yet you're Chat Noir, you save people, Adrien. You have never been akumatized. You are kind, and gentle, and confident. And somehow, despite your own darkness, your light is enough to completely outshine it. You are stronger than me, stronger than anyone I know. So don't you ever say you're weak for missing your mother, for wanting to keep your family together."

"Marinette…"

He pulled her into his arms again, with a new wave of tears helplessly rolling down and dampening Marinette's hair.

"You really think that?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

"Thank you," he muttered.

She simply squeezed him and inhaled the scent of his shirt. "I'm sorry I brought it up, chaton. I wasn't thinking."

"No, it's okay. I'm-- I'm glad you did. I don't usually talk about this with anyone. Nino knows a bit but I don't really like people seeing me cry."

"He's been your best friend for years, Adrien," she said softly. "I'm sure he would not mind keeping that secret for you."

"I know but-- it's just not comfortable. I don't like it. I don't like to be a burden, is all."

"You're not a burden, Adrien," she said softly. "Especially not me." She looked up at him intently. "You can trust me."

"I know," he muttered. "You're my lady."

A smile flashed across her lips. "And you're my cat. And I want to love all of my cat, not just the parts he thinks are lovable."

He sniffed and kissed the top of her head, then he laughed, spotting the cold rub innocently sitting on the table next to the futon. "All this ordeal for a stupid cold rub."

Marinette giggled too, wiping away the tears that pooled on the corners of her eyes. Fanning her face with her hands and blinking back, she separated herself from Adrien and sighed.

"You should take off your shirt," she suggested.

Glad that their conversation was finally turning a little lighter, he gave her a meaningful look. "You should at least buy me dinner first, m'lady."

She rolled her eyes. "You don't want me to help you rub this on your chest so you have a decent night's sleep? Okay, fine by me."

"I'm joking, Mari." He chuckled and slipped out of his white cotton shirt, revealing the defined shapes of his pectorals and the receding bruise on his shoulder.

Marinette gulped, in retrospect, this wasn't ideal.

Well, yes and no.

Yes because Adrien's naked torso was within inches of her reach.

No because _Adrien's naked torso was within inches of her reach._

Eager to overcome what he considered a very embarrassing episode, Adrien seized the opportunity to lighten the mood.

"Like what you see, m'lady?" he said cockily, stifling a laugh at Marinette's ogling.

He didn't think it was possible, but the blush that tainted her from the roots of her hair to the collar of her neck acquired a deeper shade.

"I--the--naked--you." She shook her head, grasping the fact Adrien-- Chat was doing this on purpose. She rolled her eyes and threw one of the loose pillows at him. "Dork."

_Okay yeah, but a very hot dork._

With the pillow still on his face, Adrien laughed heartily, all tears behind.

He poked out from his hideout playfully, like a cat, and then hid back.

Marinette took the pillow to reveal him looking back at her with a sheepish smile.

"Hold still," Marinette instructed as she opened the vial and scooped a healthy amount of the oily concoction with three of her fingers.

"Does it hurt?" Adrien asked. "Because if it hurts, I don't want it. It's the same reason why I avoid syringes as much as possible."

"You know," Marinette said, a smirk curling on her lips. "For someone who gets his face stuffed with pavement practically on a daily basis you're a bit of a… scaredy cat."  
He smirked. "That was a purrible pun, my lady."

"What can I say, I learned from the worst."

Marinette went ahead and spread the rub on his chest as he narrated an anecdote about the last time he had to take a vaccine. It involved him being twelve years old and locking himself in a closet, and him running around the doctor's office once the nurse finally managed to open the door. She was glad for the hilarity of the story because otherwise it would have been very difficult to ignore the way his muscles felt under her fingers.

Adrien had grown up ever since she met him, there was no denying that. And the years only seemed to grace him as they passed by. His last growth spurt left Marinette barely able to reach his shoulder and the exercise he got from being Chat Noir defined the sharp lines of his body. He had bulked up a bit, too, built a bit of muscle. There was a time where she would tease Chat about being thinner than his own baton, but those days were gone and past. Apparently, Gabriel Agreste decided Adrien was finally old enough to shed the good boy look and go for a more masculine appearance, much to Marinette's undoing.

At one point Adrien decided to stop talking and simply close his eyes. He relaxed into his pillows and focused on the sensation of Marinette's hands against his skin. Warm and slender, they trailed his chest with dedicated attention, leaving behind a fluttery sensation.

He sighed, welcoming the comfort. But more than that, the relief, the overwhelming happiness, the assured certainty that he no longer would be alone the moment his claws came off.

He opened his eyes slightly and focused on Marinette's concentrated expression. She didn't notice he was looking at her, which was good because that way he could absorb every detail, engrave every aspect about her. Her freckles like cinnamon sprinkled over the frothy foam of a cappuccino. Her thick eyelashes, framing a blue so true that could contest against any shade the sky could provide. The tip of her pink tongue, poking from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes, narrowed in focus as if she were painting some sort of intricate art piece.

His heart swelled with affection for her. Now that he knew this was the girl behind Ladybug's mask he really couldn't fathom how he didn't notice sooner. It obviously was Marinette. Of course it was her. Because he spent entire hours, nights, days, weeks, months, years, wondering what Ladybug was like in her civilian life. He imagined her being just as headstrong, and sassy, and selfless. Marinette was all those things and more. She was sweet, and kind, and brave, and compassionate. Ladybug, he discovered as soon as he learned her identity, was but the tip of the iceberg when it came to Marinette. She was amazing by herself, but Marinette was incomparable.

Of course Ladybug was Marinette. He should have put the pieces together sooner. As Chat he immediately clicked with her when they first met each other, like two pieces of a puzzle. When Mari and him started talking, about a year ago, he realized Ladybug was no longer the only person he felt immediately connected to. She met her match with Marinette. But of course, they were the same person all along.

Adrien couldn't help but smile at the thought, he smiled at her. The first reason why he fell in love with her was because she was fearless, she became the hero Paris needed despite her insecurities. The second reason why he fell in love with her was because she was resourceful. There was no unsolvable problem, not to Ladybug. The third reason why he fell in love with her was because as the months turned into years, as Chat learned that Ladybug loved fashion design, that her favorite color was pink, that she knew how to bake cookies, that her birthday was during November, that her favorite beverage was cinnamon apple tea, that she liked the smell of damp earth, that she hated spicy foods and liars, that she broke her left arm when she was eight, and she was secretly afraid of spiders, the sight of Ladybug, her voice, her smile, became the sight of being home. That was the biggest reason why Adrien fell in love with Marinette. Because she made him feel like he was home, and it had been years since he had somewhere-- someone-- to belong to.

"What?" Marinette said as she finished applying the rub, finally noticing Adrien's gaze on her.

"Nothing."

She smiled. "You should turn around, I'll put it on your back too."

Adrien complied, not because the remedy would help more than it already had, but simply because he wanted to extend Marinette's contact as much as he could.

He couldn't help the low, relaxed moan that escaped his lips as Marinette spread the mentholatum on his upper spine. Her hands travelled to his shoulder blades, his neck, his forearms, the sides of his torso… He inhaled with a bit of surprise when he stop feeling the light pressure of her hands and instead felt how her slender arms snaked under his arms as her frame pressed against his bare back.

The gesture did not imply eroticism as it would be expected due to the minimal clothing they wore, rather it was like Adrien often described his hugs with Ladybug, an embrace that took him home-- that took both home. He sighed as she did, sensing her body relax atop his. 

As if they had rehearsed, they murmured at the same time, "I'm glad it was you."

Giggles followed, Marinette squeezed him. "Jinx, you owe me a soda."

"Just a soda?"

She rolled her eyes and released Adrien from her grasp when she felt he was trying to turn on his back.  She let him go briefly. As soon as he was comfortable again, Marinette turned off the lights and crawled up next to him, able to ignore the torrid temperature of the room.

Adrien cradled her in his arms and pulled her close to snuggle against the crook of her neck.

"You feel like home," he murmured, finally giving release to the words that itched on his tongue every time she was in his arms, but now with the security that those words were welcome. It was a liberating relief.

Marinette simply scooted closer to him, letting go of a timid whimper, lulled by the steady beat of Adrien's heart.

Unbeknownst to the pair, Tikki and Plagg hid safely on the opposite side of the futon, smiling brightly at each other, celebrating the victory once again. A thousand lifetimes, a thousand years, a thousand places, and yet love always conquered with cosmic precision. They always came back together. They had learned to trust the process.

"I told you they'd come around," Tikki whispered.

"They've been the worst by far," Plagg complained, although not really. He was also happy. He was one part of the coin, after all. And yeah, Adrien wouldn't be the first nor the last ridiculously lovesick bearer he'd ever get, he knew for a fact. They still got on his nerves, all those Cats, but that didn't mean he wasn't happy for his Adrien.

"The worst?" Tikki laughed. "Don't you remember India?"

"Oh my god, yes. Those two idiots."

"And Palestine."

"That time with the Inquisition."

"Second World War."

"I'm just happy all this is over, I'll finally have my peace," Plagg said.

Tikki glared at him with a smirk. "If that lets you sleep at night, keep lying to yourself."

Plagg grumbled as he found a more comfortable position next to his partner. "You're annoying when you're a know-it-all, Tikki."

"Yes, but you still love me that way."

"Know-it-all."

The pair of kwamis fell asleep to the sound of Marinette and Adrien quietly murmuring things to each other and a brewing storm in the background,  feeling relieved that yes, one of the biggest hurdles was finally overcome.

A sudden flash of electric light flashed outside momentarily lighting the room, closely chased by a rolling thunder, and seconds later, the quiet murmur of rain.

Adrien and Marinette locked their attention on each other's gaze, unwilling, and quite possibly unable to look away from each other.

A second thunder roared in the distance, and Marinette jumped.

"Coup de foudre," she muttered, without really realizing she was thinking out loud.

Adrien nodded with a smile and gently brushed her cheek with his knuckles, delighting in the odd familiarity of the scene as he leaned into her.

"Coup de foudre…" He cupped her face as he pulled her into a kiss.

Marinette inhaled, as the storm roared outside time and time again. Yes, she felt the lightning bolt. Much like the storm, not once but twice, thrice, too many times to count. It's as if the storm knew what it felt to fall in love. It didn't happen all at once. No, it began with the wind, with the promise something was brewing. It continued with the playful droplets igniting her skin with gelid kisses. It escalated into a steady pour, heavy and enveloping. It built up, and rolled, and brewed, and swished, until there was so much energy floating around it condensed and materialized into the bolts of electric blue, sky connecting with the earth. Opposites of sorts connecting as the whole planet tremored with an exclamation.

"I love you, Adrien," she said, like thunder itself, loud and clear. Unexpectedly confident, even for herself.

Adrien's heart stumbled, words failed him, and could do little except breach the space between them with a kiss.

This kiss was different. It wasn't unsure or giddy or surprised. It was more than words could say. It was like lightning itself. Adrien felt electrified, alive, overcome with the ecstatic relief of a need finally met, of being able to breath after being mangled by the sea. Of knowing that after all these years, he was loved back, that there had been no need to be afraid in the first place.

It was needy, and hungry, and all-consuming.

He couldn't fathom breaking apart, yet eventually they did. With lips swollen, and ragged breaths, and tousled hair, and a nonexistent distance between them, part for air they did.

It scared him, if he had to be frank, the fact Marinette could make him feel so strongly. But it was a fear he could get used to.

Still in an embrace, they remitted to listen to the rain quietly as their fingers ghosted around each other playfully before intertwining. 

Adrien sighed and asked with a husky voice, "So… what is gonna happen now?"

"What do you mean, chaton?"

"What are we going to do tomorrow? Like, can I hold your hand in front of Alya and Nino? Can I kiss you, or like… you know, calling you my--my uh…"

"Your what?" Marinette asked with feigned innocence.

"My uh.. Gi--girlfriend."

"What makes you think we're dating? You haven't even asked me. I could very well turn you down."

Adrien had to pull away from the hug to try and find her eyes among the lightening-lit darkness.

"You're kidding, right?"

She looked very serious about it. "I can't date Adrien Agreste."

Adrien looked puzzled at her.

"See, my boyfriend Chat Noir, he won't like it a lot, I think…"

Adrien chuckled. "I don't think he'll mind. I mean, plus I _am_ a supermodel, what is he, really?"

"He's _Chat Noir_."

"Psht. Just a mangy cat."

Marinette giggled. "Perhaps, but he's _my_ mangy cat. Sorry Adrien, no. I already have a boyfriend."

He snorted. "You're a dork, princess." Then he pecked her on the head. "Seriously though, what are we going to do about Alya and Nino?"

"Well, they'll be freaking ecstatic when they find out," Marinette said pensively. "That doesn't mean they have to find out right away…"

"We could prank them," Adrien suggested. "Just like, we wake up tomorrow and act like a freaking married couple out of the blue and see what they do."

Marinette giggled. "Alya is going to die. She's been my wingwoman for like, years."

"Really?" Adrien giggled.

"You didn't notice?"

"Not really, no."

Marinette chuckled and kissed his forehead. "Oh, chaton."

"I can't wait to see their faces tomorrow."

"We should film it."

They laughed at the idea, quickly dropping the subject as sleepiness draped over their bodies. Marinette sighed, snuggling close to Adrien's chest, suddenly haunted by the idea of how much she'd miss sleeping next to him once they went back to France. A single night was enough to become addicted. One became used to good things too fast, but for the moment being, that was for the best.

She fell asleep lulled by the rain, Adrien's heartbeat, and his voice occasionally whispering sweet nothings in her ear, wondering what ever did she do to deserve such good luck.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, guys!  
> You can follow me on Tumblr for fic status updates (coccinelle-et-chaton.tumblr.com). I usually am online a lot in there, way more than here, and like, I answer questions about the fics and stuff, so hit me up! (ALSO YOU SHOULD COME AND JOIN THE SHITPOST PARTY WITH ME)  
> Also, if you didn't listen to the AtP playlist on chapter 3 (https://open.spotify.com/user/1278525189/playlist/6CW2ewYYqv7mVUMwVIA5G9), you should totally check it out because I've been adding songs to it and now it's like, my go-to soundtrack for when I'm writing this thing. So yeah, just fun fact for you there.  
> Okay, end of psa, coccinelle out.  
> Until next chapter!


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